Even before the CBI could file its closure report in the Barak missile bribery scandal, the ministry of defence (MoD) on Monday cleared procurement of additional 262 Israeli-made missiles for the navy. Rs 880 crore project was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, headed by defence minister AK Antony, and the case will be forwarded to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval.
Indian Navy has been facing an acute shortage of missiles for its anti-missile defence system for a long time now. The Navy had made a strong case for the 9-km range air defence missile and had told the ministry that it was left with only around 150 of these weapons. In the last Defence Acquisition Council meeting, the ministry had formed an ‘Independent Group’ to take a final call on the issue.
The CBI has been probing the Barak case following the Tehelka expose. The agency in its FIR in 2006 named the former defence minister George Fernandes, former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly, former navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar and defence agent Suresh Nanda, among others in the case. But years after investigation, the CBI could not find evidence against the accused and it is expected to file a closure report in the court.
And because of the CBI probe, the defence ministry kept navy’s proposal to acquire Barak missile on hold for the past five years. The ministry has also sought legal opinion from the Attorney General in this regard.
“We have not filed the closure report so far in the case. The decision in this regard would be taken soon. So far, we are still investigating it,” said a CBI officer.
Meanwhile, the ministry of defence also cleared projects for acquisition of 41 Dhruv advanced light helicopters (40 for army and one for the navy), two deep submergence submarine rescue vessels and 16 anti-submarine missile boats, all together valued at more than Rs 16,000 crore.
Requirement of deep submergence submarine rescue vehicle vessels were also pending for long time and Indian navy has so far an agreement with US navy for deep sea rescue operations.
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