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| Coffin scam: SC asks for status report in four weeks | | | New Delhi | Feb 22
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to submit the status report of 2006 coffin scam within four weeks. The scam was a scar during the Kargil war, in which more than 500 soldiers had died.
The CBI had registered cases against retired Major-General Arun Roye, the then Military Attache in the Indian embassy in the US, Director Colonel SK Malik, Joint-Director Colonel Fateh Bahadur Singh, and US-based firm Buitron and Baiza in connection with the alleged bungling.
It is alleged that the Defence Ministry had imported aluminium caskets and body bags from a US-based funeral service company to transport the mortal remains of soldiers from battlegrounds.
The suspected officials had entered into a contract during 1999-2000 with the said company to import 500 aluminium caskets and 3000 body bags at USD 2,500 (approximately Rs 1.20 lakh). The contract amounted to USD 15, 05,000.
It has also been alleged that similar caskets and body bags were supplied to the UN mission in Somalia and to the US Army at USD 172 and USD 27 respectively.
The investigations later revealed that the US firm was not a manufacturer, the first lot of 150 caskets supplied was heavier than required by the contract, and were fabricated by welding prone to develop leakages.
According to the CAG report, gross irregularities were committed in the purchase of coffins by the Army during the Kargil operation. The contract was procured under the approval of Defence Ministry during the NDA
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