CBI has sought from a TV news channel copies of Army Chief Gen V. K. Singh's interview in connection with its probe regarding his allegations that he was offered a bribe of Rs14 crore by a retired senior Army officer.
CBI sources said they will analyse any additional information given by the Chief during the interview to Times Now channel.
The agency, which has registered a preliminary enquiry case in connection with the alleged bribe offer, is still looking for some ‘reliable’ evidence to convert it into a regular FIR.
CBI sources declined to disclose what information they were looking for in the media interviews given by Gen Singh who is scheduled to retire next week. They said the relevance of the interviews in the ongoing probe can only be ascertained after going through the statements of the army chief and the claims made by him.
Gen Singh had claimed in media interviews that an equipment lobbyist had offered him a bribe of Rs14 crore, a matter which he had reported to Defence Minister A. K. Antony. The Ministry had then recommended a CBI probe into the allegation made by the Army chief.
Later in his complaint to CBI, Gen Singh had alleged that it was Lt Gen(Retd) Tejinder Singh who offered him bribe on behalf of Vectra Chairman Ravinder Rishi. Tejinder Singh has rejected all the allegations against him.