New Delhi: The Centre has filed a status report in the Supreme Court on the progress of the CBI probe into 25 defence purchase deals made during and after the Kargil war in 1999.

In its affidavit, the Centre said that after a preliminary inquiry into six cases of purchase of hand thermal imagers, special ammunition for 40 mm L-70 guns, aluminium caskets, spares for 155 mm guns, Kolos Tyres and special woollen socks, the Central Bureau of Investigation decided to conduct an in-depth probe. The Government sought four months for completing the probe.

The Centre said it had taken the December 11, 2001 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General seriously. "If there is any negligence/misconduct or criminality involved in procurement of defence supplies or that the ruse of the Kargil war was used to procure material which was otherwise useless, the Defence Ministry and the Government would take strict action against the erring officials, however, high."

In 10 cases, the CBI said it appeared no criminality was involved in procurement. But departmental action was advised in four of these cases. It would be taken as expeditiously as possible. "Anyone, however highly placed, guilty of any lapse/misconduct, would not be permitted to escape proper punishment," the Centre asserted.

The Ministry said it accepted the CBI recommendations in respect of nine cases. In the case relating to automatic grenade launchers, "the Ministry is of the view that the matter requires a further inquiry by the CBI and has referred it to the agency."

Of the total of 25 cases, the remaining nine cases were still under preliminary inquiry and it was expected that in another four months, the CBI might complete its probe and a report would be submitted to the court.

Allegations against NDA

The Centre filed this affidavit on a public interest petition, which alleged that irregularities caused the exchequer a loss of Rs. 2,175 crore. It was alleged that the NDA Government had during the Kargil war relaxed norms for the purchase of equipment, arms and ammunition, but did not revert to the old procedure even after the operations ended.

Denying this allegation, the Centre in its first affidavit gave a clean chit to the former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, stating the simplified procedure "in no way violated any of the financial rules of the Government or the Defence Procurement Procedure, 1992."

Subsequently the Ministry, in another affidavit, said 23 cases were being referred to the CBI, apart from the two deals mentioned in the Tehelka tapes. Thus the CBI would probe 25 of the 35 cases mentioned by the CAG. During the last hearing in January, the court asked the Government to file a status report.

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