The Defence Ministry suspended Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) Chief V.R.S. Natarajan on Monday following recommendation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The suspension came just a few days after the Defence Ministry issued a show cause notice to the BEML chief in connection with the Tatra case. Defence Ministry said that the Natarajan for declaring publicly that he would file a defamation case against former Army Chief V.K. Singh, and that too without its permission.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar confirmed that the BEML chief has been suspended following the recommendation of the CBI to remove him from the post for fair investigation. Natarajan is currently facing probe by the CBI in connection with the Tatra case.

P. Dwarkanath, the senior most Director in BEML, has succeeded Natarajan.

Just a day after he retired as the Army Chief, the BEML chief served a legal notice to VK Singh, who retired on May 31 this year, to apologise for his defamatory statements against BEML. However, the move did not go down too well with the Defence Ministry. He was asked by the ministry to explain why he made such a move without its permission.

VK Singh shocked the whole nation in March this year with his claim that he was offered Rs 14 crore bribe to clear the purchase of 600 sub-standard trucks by an equipment lobbyist. And BEML supplies Tatra trucks to the Army.

Natarajan said that he denied the allegations of the former Army chief as the CEO of the company (BEML). He termed the allegations against BEML as baseless and defamatory. However, he said that he respects the decision of the government and hopes to come out clean on the issue.

Meanwhile, VK Singh too has refused to apologise for his revelation, maintaining that he had just exposed the truth.