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TEHELKA:
Operation. Which is in infantry…hardcore infantry…?
MAJ. GEN. SATNAM SINGH: Yes, basically from the infantry.
But then you know, we keep on changing our roles. Today I'm
operational commander, tomorrow I may be on staff.
TEHELKA: Okay.
A
little time after the meeting Colonel Berry explains the
significance of the meeting with General Satnam Singh.
Berry was there the whole time alongwith Major Singh.
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LT.COL. BERRY: If you shake hand, it is shaken forever.
Otherwise, people will say "sorry". Like he told you that
first thing is for them resolution. He has given you a feeler
already that "Look, if your resolution is okay, you are okay."
Absolutely. Because on resolution, he cannot force…cannot
compromise.
TEHELKA: Okay.
Elsewhere, the brew is simmering. After hearing a lot
of talk about R.K. Jain, treasurer of the Samata Party,
being the briefcase man of George Fernandes,
we at West End decided that a direct approach was called
for. The series of meetings with R.K.
Jain proved to be a goldmine of information
about past and present defence deals. It incriminates
beyond redemption Defence Minister George Fernandes and
the Samata Party. Jain was conned by emphasizing
the size of West End as a group, the contributions it
would make to the
Samata Party fund and to Jain's own coffers. An introduction
to Jain. |
R.K. JAIN: I am the national treasurer, I have given
you the card. The treasurer is close to the boss because for
money matters he has to talk to the treasurer only. Even if
he talks to 10 others, he has to talk to the treasurer.
TEHELKA: Bilkul, naturally.
R.K. JAIN: Please consider that it is not hidden from
the treasurer that the party is getting money. Money is withdrawn
when I pass the cheque, when I sign it. And why should I lie?
I would take money only in lieu of work done for you.
Jain
explains what his role will be for West End. He also goes
on to narrate
the details of one of the first defence deals that he
did for Samata party, when
the party had no money and had just come to power. Suresh
Nanda of the
Crown Corporation paid them Rs. 1 crore for help in getting
the order of
250 Armoured Recovery Vehicles for a Slovakian company. |
R.K. JAIN: Armoured recovery vehicle was my first case
which I did it for Slovakia.
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: When George was Defence Minister for the
first time. After one year, then he became another Defence
Minister.
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah.
R.K. JAIN: This is I am talking about the first time
when he became the defence minister. As soon as he became
the defence minister, after six or seven months…
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: Suresh Nanda approached me for armoured
recovery vehicle. He was the agent for the Slovakian company.
TEHELKA: What was the product?
R.K. JAIN: Armoured recovery vehicle.
TEHELKA: Oh! Yeah, yeah.
R.K. JAIN: There were 250 vehicles were there. The
tender was worth say 250 crores.
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: There were two…three, competitions - Slovakia,
Czechoslovakia and there was a company from Poland.
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: Boomer.
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah, that jet plane and everything.
R.K. JAIN: Nanda approached me. Czechoslovakia's price
was the lowest, second Slovakian, third was the Poland.
TEHELKA: Haan, Haan.
R.K. JAIN: He said, "I will give you one crore rupees
in advance…"
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: "You get disapproved the last one…Czechoslovakia
because they are so lower that we cannot match their price."
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: "If you can push him out. Delegation is
going on to the…delegation has been ordered to go to Czechoslovakia.
Stop this delegation, and technically reject this company.
Here are the documents."
TEHELKA: Hmm.
R.K. JAIN: "By which it's proved that this company
is closed for the last two years. They will start only after
getting this order."
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah.
R.K. JAIN: "I will give one crore rupees. And I will
give you…if they are technically disapproved, then you are
my agent."
TEHELKA: Yeah.
R.K. JAIN: "For this particular…perks…and I will you
so much of commission."
TEHELKA: Okay.
R.K. JAIN: I said, "Fine." He gave me the correspondence.
I took the correspondence to George.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
R.K. JAIN: And he said, "All right, I'll reject it."
He is a very intelligent man. Next day he called Rajiv Goba.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
R.K. JAIN: He said, "Ring up to this Indian Embassy
in Czechoslovakia and find out whether this company is closed
for the last two years or not."
TEHELKA: Hmm.
R.K. JAIN: And he rang up. It was closed.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
R.K. JAIN: He told me, "…said the company is closed
for the last two years. There is no point of a delegation
to go. And therefore this company is technically disqualified."
[Jain's phone is ringing.]
TEHELKA: Okay, it is manipulated.
R.K. JAIN: He wrote straight away on the file himself.
He never goes and orders to a Joint Secretary. He wrote it
himself, and sent the file back. Nanda gave me one crore rupees.
He called me, "Yes, Mr. Jain, the file has come down. Like
you know George…"
TEHELKA: Yeah, yeah.
R.K. JAIN: "The file is down, my work has been done,
I am very happy. You take your one crore rupees." I said,
"Fine, give it to me."
TEHELKA: Yeah, this kind of work.
R.K. JAIN: After that…
TEHELKA: Yeah.
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