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Notices on closure of computer purchase scam

Staff Reporter

Respondents to file replies by January 18, 2006

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the former Deputy Director-Generals (DDGs) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Dr. S.L. Mehta and Dr. Gajendra Singh, the former Assistant Director-General, A.P. Saxena, and certain officials of Messrs HCL-HP Limited on a criminal revision petition challenging the closure of a computer purchase scam case in ICAR.

Issuing the notices, Justice R.S. Sodhi directed the respondents to file replies to the petition by January 18, 2006.

The CBI had in April 2000 registered a case against the officials of ICAR and HCL-HP Limited accusing them of entering into a criminal conspiracy to purchase computers worth Rs. 12 crores in 1995-95.

In pursuance of the conspiracy, the terms of payment incorporated in the bid document -- 50 per cent against shipping document and 50 per cent against installation and successful commissioning -- were changed to 50 per cent against order/shipping document to extend a huge undue pecuniary advantage to HCL-HP Limited and corresponding financial loss to the Union Government, the CBI charged.

The investigating agency alleged that the payment of sales tax amounting to Rs. 27.68 lakhs was also released to HCL-HP Limited by ICAR without any supporting document.

It further charged that when the company failed to deliver and install computers within the prescribed period of time, the ICAR officials did not invoke the bank guarantee for deducting liquidity charges amounting to Rs. 1.5 crores from the firm.

However, the investigating agency filed a closure report in a special court for CBI cases here in the case in 2003 on the ground that `sufficient evidence was not available'.

The Special Judge had in February 2004 accepted the closure report and permitted the CBI to close the case.

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