There was a difference of opinion between CBI officers on filing charge sheet against Lt Gen (Retd) Tejinder Singh in connection with alleged bribe offer made to then army chief V K Singh in connection with Tatra vehicle deal.
Highly-placed sources said although there was a difference of opinion among the officers, the circumstantial evidence were enough to indicate that the alleged bribe offer was made to Singh for clearing files of all-terrain vehicles from Tatra.
While the officers probing the case were of the view that the charge sheet could be filed, the seniors said there was not enough evidence to file the charge sheet and the case could be closed.
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The sources said it was Director CBI Ranjit Sinha who felt that based on circumstantial evidence a charge sheet could be filed and it would be for the trial court to proceed further.
They said since it was a closed-room conversation it was difficult to get hard evidence but the chain of events which followed indicated the alleged offence having been committed.
The sources said the compact disc provided by then army chief was also not very helpful.
The evidence that guards were told by V K Singh not to let Tejinder Singh in his office again, the testimony given by the then Defence Minister A K Antony that he was informed about this incident, withdrawal of recommendation for appointment of Tejinder Singh at NTRO--all indicated that the alleged bribe offer could have been made in the army chief's office.
They said it will now depend on V K Singh to defend the charges levelled by him in his complaint before the court during the trial as the agency found no reason to disbelive him.
CBI has filed a charge sheet on the basis of available circumstantial evidence naming Tejinder Singh who has rejected all the charges against him.
