Mumbai: Former Vice Chief of Indian Army
Lt Gen Nobel Thamburaj and two others were on Tuesday booked by the
CBI on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and misconduct
in an out of court land dispute settlement to benefit a
private builder to the tune of Rs 46 crore.
The case was registered against Gen Thamburaj last
evening under various sections of IPC and Prevention of
Corruption Act in a designated CBI court here after receiving
requisite sanction from the Defence Ministry.
Gen Thamburaj, while he was posted as General-Officer-in-
Command of Southern Command, is alleged to have entered into a
criminal conspiracy with former Defence Estate Officer SR
Nayyar and Pune-based Kalpataru builders in settling a matter
out of the court of a defence property despite having
favourable orders from various courts, a CBI statement said.
The CBI today carried out searches at various places in
Mumbai and Pune which included the residential premises of the
retired General. This is possibly for the first time that a
vice chief of the Indian Army is facing corruption charges.
According to the CBI, Thamburaj, who retired as Vice
Chief in October 2009, and Nayyar had allegedly shown undue
favour to the builder for a property measuring 0.96 acres in
Defence Land at Pune Cantonment.
"There was a dispute going on regarding the property in
question. Thamburaj and Nayyar settled the matter out of court
in spite of several court orders given in favour of the army.
The duo indulged in gross misconduct," CBI said.
The two officers ignored rules and policies, violated the
terms of lease entered into by the Ministry of Defence and
Kalpataru and caused the private company pecuniary gains of
about Rs 46 crore, it said.
PTI
