There seems to be a link emerging between Gen. V.K Singh's Army bribe incident and the age row.

In January this year, Deccan Chronicle had filed a report claiming Gen. Singh's 'age controversy' was the result a conspiracy to remove him because he had refused to sign a major defence deal that involved huge kickbacks.

Top defence sources, at the time, did confirm that this was the case - hinting at the presence of forces within the bureaucracy that wanted their Chief 'punished'.

Several serving and retired officers believe their Chief may have been targeted because he had done a 'Anna Hazare' in the military over a dubious defence deal as well as the Sukhna land scam and Adarsh Society scam.

The TATRA angle

The Indian Army buys heavy-duty Tatra trucks, made by a Czech company, through a Bengaluru-based defence PSU which, in turn, does the deal through a UK-based 'manufacturer's agent'.

It has been the practice since the 1980s, and the Army chief signs off on the order every year.

The last such order went through in February 2010. After Gen. Singh took over as Army chief, however, he apparently refused to sign the order for the next year, arguing that the Army should buy them directly from the manufacturer.

"While buying directly from the Czech company would have meant paying Rs. 40 lakh per truck, the defence PSU wanted to supply them at Rs. 1 crore a truck – a difference of Rs. 60 lakh per truck, too huge to be explained in any way other than that kickbacks were involved in the deal”, Army sources had said on condition of anonymity.

'An old friend's offer'

When Gen. Singh did not budge on the issue, some interested parties sent 'an old friend' of his to coax him into signing the order, allegedly even offering the Army chief a 15 per cent cut on each truck. An enraged Gen. Singh shoved the mediator out of his office - it has been claimed.

On Monday Gen. Singh, it appears, may have gone public about the Tatra incident.

He claimed in a televised interview that he was left 'dumbfounded' after being offered a Rs.14-crore bribe. His statements have forced Defence Minister A.K. Antony to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe.

Asked why he didn't lodge an immediate police complaint, the army chief said: "You may be right that I should have complained against him. But at that time the way (the bribe was offered), for a while I could not understand what he was saying. It was not like he was giving me bribe in my hand.

"He was telling me that if you clear this file you will get this much of the amount, everybody takes it, what is your problem. In a way it was an indirect method of saying. And that is why he could not be arrested."

Forces may have misled Antony too

The general said he told the former officer to leave his room and shared the incident with Antony - who is often described as Mr. Clean for his impeccable record as a politician.

"He (Antony) beat his forehead and told me that we should keep these people out," said the chief, who is to retire on May 31.

Sources claim Gen. Singh has already made enemies by taking on those accused in the Sukhna land scam and the Adarsh Society scam, including Lt. Gen. Avdesh Prakash, who was Military Secretary under Gen. Deepak Kapoor and was subsequently court-martialled.

By refusing to sign on the Tatra trucks deal, Gen. Singh, it appears has made enemies within the bureaucracy, where powerful forces may have even misled Anthony.