Captain, caught selling army's diesel, grilled by CBI

"Captain Vikalp Purohit appeared in the office of the CBI in the evening.  We questioned him for some time and asked him to again appear in the office tomorrow (Tuesday)," CBI Superintendent of Police R. Upasak told IANS.

Purohit was summoned Sunday but he didn't turn up. Purohit of the General Reserve Engineering Force, a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), was posted at Koksar in Lahaul and Spiti district and caught Friday by a team of CBI sleuths who posed as decoy customers.

The diesel was meant for the BRO's Project Deepak, which maintains a 222-km stretch between Manali and Sarchu, part of the 475-km Manali-Leh National Highway-21.

Upasak said the accused was trapped by two decoy customers, who projected themselves as contractors of the public works department. They entered into negotiations with the accused regarding bulk purchase of fuel. They also bargained the price and later caught him.

The CBI team was on lookout for army officials who were allegedly selling diesel meant for the forces in the open market.

Another CBI official investigating the case said all records of diesel supplies and consumption by the BRO have been sought for verification.

"Only after going through inventory records, we will be able to comment on how large the racket is or involvement of any other official," he added.

A. Chattopadhya, joint director (Personnel), Project Deepak, told IANS: "We have informed the higher authorities about the incident."

However, the CBI has so far not registered any case against Captain Purohit.