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{{short description|2006 scandal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}

The '''Barak Missile scandal''' was a case of alleged [[defense industry|defence]] corruption relating to the purchase of [[Barak 1|Barak 1 Missile Systems]] by India from Israel. The [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) investigated the case and several people including the [[Samata Party]] ex-treasurer R. K. Jain were arrested. Others named in the [[First Information Report]] (FIR) included politicians [[George Fernandes]], Jaya Jaitley, along with arms dealer and ex-naval officer [[Suresh Nanda]], who is the son of retired [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]] [[S.M. Nanda]]. The CBI investigated the case and filed a [[First Information Report]] (FIR) on 10 October 2006. On 24 December 2013, after investigating for more than seven years, the CBI decided to close the case as it did not find any evidence on the allegations.<ref name="CBI files closure report"/><ref name="CBI files closure report - business-standard"/>

On 23 December 2013, [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Defence Ministry]] headed by [[AK Antony]] approved the procurement of additional 262 Barak missiles.<ref name="Government clears way for Israeli-made Barak missiles"/> The sting operation "[[Operation West End]]" started by ''[[Tehelka]]'' in 2001 which showed corruption in various defence deals led to the scandal. The [[Bharatiya Janta Party]] demanded that the CBI should take action against ''Tehelka'' for "misleading and fabricating false evidence" in the case.<ref name="CBI should act against Tehelka, says BJP"/>

==Background==
The Barak missile system was jointly developed by [[Israel Aircraft Industries]] (IAI) and [[RAFAEL Armament Development Authority]] of Israel.<ref name=dubious/> On 23 October 2000, contracts had been signed by the [[Indian government]] to procure seven Barak systems at a total cost $199.50 million and 200 missiles at a cost of $69.13 million. This was done despite objections raised by several groups, including members of the team that had originally visited Israel to observe the missile performance, and
[[APJ Abdul Kalam]], then heading the [[Defence Research Development Organization]].
Though some of the objections were of a procedural nature, the Navy Chief of Staff Sushil Kumar is currently under investigation as to why these
objections were not considered.<ref name=dubious>
{{cite news
| title = Dubious deal
| author = V. Venkatesan
| publisher = [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]
| url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2321/stories/20061103001804100.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071025082742/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2321/stories/20061103001804100.htm
| url-status = usurped
| archive-date = 25 October 2007
| date = 3 November 2006
| access-date = 16 June 2007
}}</ref>

In 2001, "[[Operation West End]]", a [[sting operation]] conducted by ''[[Tehelka]]'', alleged that 15 defence deals made by the government had involved some sort of [[Political corruption|kickback]] and the Barak missile deal was one of them.<ref name=TOIChauhan>{{cite news|last1=Chauhan|first1=Neeraj|title=CBI closes Barak scandal case for lack of evidence|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CBI-closes-Barak-scandal-case-for-lack-of-evidence/articleshow/27199226.cms|access-date=7 December 2014|work=The Times of India|date=11 December 2022}}</ref> Transcripts of conversations between the undercover ''Tehelka'' operative and R. K. Jain indicate that Jain accepted bribes from Suresh Nanda in the amount of ten million.<ref>{{
cite web
|publisher=Tehelka.com
|title=Tehelka Tapes (transcript)
|url=http://www.tehelka.com/home/20041009/operation/investigation21.htm
|page=21
|access-date=17 August 2006
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720105922/http://www.tehelka.com/home/20041009/operation/investigation21.htm
|archive-date=20 July 2006
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}</ref>

==Investigations==

The [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|NDA]] government set up a commission to investigate the matter. The [[United Progressive Alliance|UPA]] government, rejected the partial report by the commission and the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) began investigating the case. The CBI lodged a [[First Information Report]] (FIR) on 9 October 2006 and claimed that [[George Fernandes]] the Indian defence minister at that time, and the Former Chief of the [[Indian Navy]], Admiral Sushil Kumar were involved. The FIR notes that the Indian Defence Research & Development Organization had sought to block the import of the Barak system right until the end. The FIR restates R.K. Jain's admission to ''Tehelka'' that three per cent of this cost went to Fernandes and Jaya Jaitley as commission, while he himself was given 0.5 per cent. These commissions were paid to them by Suresh Nanda, the middleman in the deal, according to the ''Tehelka'' tapes.<ref name="dubious"/>

Suresh Nanda, his son Sanjeev Nanda, and two others were arrested on 9 March 2008 under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and section 201 (committing offence to cause disappearing of evidence) related to the scandal.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200803091966.htm | title = Nandas, IT official and CA arrested | access-date=9 March 2008 | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | date=9 March 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080314001231/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200803091966.htm| archive-date= 14 March 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>

On 24 December 2013, after investigating for more than seven years, the CBI closed the case and filed a report in a court as it did not find any evidence on the allegations.<ref name="CBI files closure report">{{cite news|title=CBI files closure report - firstpost|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/cbi-files-closure-report-in-barak-missile-deal-1305161.html|access-date=24 December 2013|date=24 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="CBI files closure report - business-standard">{{cite web|title=CBI files closure report|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/cbi-files-closure-report-in-barak-missile-deal-113122400798_1.html|access-date=24 December 2022}}</ref> A day before, on 23 December, [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Defence Ministry]] headed by [[AK Antony]] approved the procurement of additional 262 Barak missiles.<ref name="Government clears way for Israeli-made Barak missiles">{{cite news|title=Government clears way for Israeli-made Barak missiles|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-government-clears-way-for-israeli-made-barak-missiles-1939995|access-date=7 January 2014|date=24 December 2022}}</ref> The [[BJP]] responded by saying: "This is the same case 'created' by Tehelka in 2001 to defame and discredit the then BJP-led NDA government" and demanded that the CBI should take action against ''Tehelka'' for "misleading and fabricating false evidence" in the case.<ref name="CBI should act against Tehelka, says BJP">{{cite news|title=CBI should act against Tehelka, says BJP|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-12-11/news/45080800_1_samata-party-jaya-tehelka-barak|access-date=7 January 2014|date=11 December 2013|work=The Times Of India}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barak Missile Scandal}}
[[Category:2006 scandals]]
[[Category:Corruption in defence procurement in India]]
[[Category:Weapons trade]]
[[Category:2000s in India]]
[[Category:2000s in Israel]]

Barak Missile scandal - Revision history

Bot at 02:22, 21 July 2022