CRPF Demands Fresh Trials of Bulletproof Jackets
After scam in the trial of bulletproof jackets, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which was to get 20,000 out of the 59,000 jackets, has demanded fresh trials.
“We have asked for fresh trials after the concerned DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) scientist admitted to irregularities in the testing process. The procurement process will be set back by at least three months. It is regrettable but we have no choice but to ask for a retrial because we can’t afford for quality to be compromised,” said CRPF Director General AS Gill.
Taking a strong stand on the matter, the union government has asked the DRDO to clean up its act.
RK Varma, DRDO Joint Director (Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory), was called from Chandigarh to Delhi on Thursday and question about the trail. During the questioning he reportedly admitted to talks with bidders on the bulletproof jackets tenders. He was also asked to explain the discrepancies during the trials.
Varma, during the questioning, was also faced with a CD that allegedly showed his confess to fudging technical date; attempting to collude with vendors on the price bid and claiming political patronage.
Reports said that he admitted that the voice on the CD was his when grilled by senior officers from the Intelligence Bureau, DRDO and Home Ministry.
The Home Ministry is set to recommend action against the DRDO official as the trials were compromised, said reports.
DRDO, too, is likely to order a departmental inquiry against Varma.
