BEML serves legal notice on ex-Army chief, denies charges

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A day after Gen V.K. Singh retired as chief of Army, public sector BEML on Friday slapped a legal notice on him demanding an apology for his 'false and motivated' allegations against it on the Tatra truck issue.

"Legal notice has been issued today. If he does not apologise, we may file a defamation suit against Gen. V.K. Singh," BEML chairman and managing director V.R.S. Natarajan told reporters here.

Gen Singh had alleged that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe by a former officer to clear supply of a tranche of 600 Tatra trucks into which the CBI is investigating.

"The former Army chief has made some allegations against BEML. As the CEO of the company, I deny them as absolutely false, motivated, damaging and defamatory," Natarajan said.

The CBI has registered a Preliminary Enquiry against retired Lt Gen Tejinder Singh on a complaint filed by Singh in which he has alleged that the retired Army officer had offered him the bribe for clearing a 'sub-standard' consignment of Tatra trucks.

Natarajan defended the delay in initiating the process for defamation against Singh saying the company had to go through the process of seeking legal advice and then placing it before the board for approval.

BEML has not received a single letter that the Tatra vehicles is sub-standard, obsolete or over-priced, Natarajan said.