CBI opposes Vectra Group chairman's plea to go abroad

New Delhi - The CBI Tuesday strongly opposed, in the Supreme Court, the plea of Vectra Group chairman Ravinder Kumar Rishi, facing probe in the Tatra truck deal for the army,  for permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J.Chelameswar that Rishi would not return if he was allowed to leave the country.

Appearing for the agency, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Harin Rawal told the court that Rishi was the main accused in the supply of Tatra trucks to the Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML)  and his name surfaced in every document.

Rawal told the court that the conduct of Rishi in the deal under investigation and in the course of investigation did not arouse the confidence in his plea that he was going abroad for his  treatment and would come back.

He said the CBI could not put entire material that it had collected in the course of its investigation in an affidavit, but the material about the involvement of Rishi could be given to the court in a sealed cover.

Finding that Rishi's plea to seek the court's nod for going abroad for treatment opposed by the investigating agency, senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the Vectra Group chief,

told the court this was nothing but an attempt to cover up the role of public sector undertaking BEML.

Rohtagi told the court that his client was willing to pledge as surety that he would return to India after his treatment.