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Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi
The defense ministry has written a letter to the Venkataswami Commission regarding the action to be taken against errant officers captured on Tehelka tapes, defence ministry sources said on Thursday night.
Thus, formally the government has taken a serious view of tehelka.com tapes, and the same message has been conveyed to the commission.
The Justice K Venkataswami Commission is looking into corruption in defence deals exposed by Operation West End carried out by a tehelka.com investigative team.
The army, on its part, had ordered a court of inquiry headed by Lieutenant General S K Jain to look into the involvement of its officers in the expose.
The defense ministry has studied all the tapes.
The defence ministry has already placed under suspension Major General P S K Chaudhary, additional director general (weapons and equipment).
Major General Chaudhary is shown in the video as accepting Rs 1,00,000 and a gold chain as bribe.
The commission has been informed that disciplinary action would be taken against General Chaudhary, Colonel Anil Sehgal, director in the ordinance services, and Brigadier Iqbal Singh, while administrative action has been recommended against Major General Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, Major General Satnam Singh and Lt Col BB Sharma.
Major General P S K Chaudhary, who has been already suspended in the wake of the expose, has admitted having taken money from an undercover tehelka.com reporter before the court of inquiry.
However, since the court of inquiry has just looked into the facts of the case it cannot recommend punishment, which can only given after the long drawn process is completed.
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