The junior works manager of Guns Carriage Factory (GCF) was found dead in a drain on Tuesday, the police said. SC Kathua, 45, was missing since January 17 after being summoned by the CBI in connection with the alleged supply of Chinese-spare parts for production of indigenised Bofors guns used by the Army.&nbsp;

A blood-stained blade was also found near the body of Mr Kathua. The body, which was found in the factory area behind Section 2 region of GCF, was severely decomposed.

The police have sent the body for post-mortem. The family of Mr Kathua suspect murder, however, the police believe that he committed suicide.

His wife Mausami Khatua had filed a missing report with Ghamapur police station in Jabalpur on January 18.

Earlier in July 2017, the CBI had filed a case against Delhi-based firm the Gun Carriage Factory, for selling fake Chinese spare parts to the ordnance factory, which come under the production department of the Defence Ministry.

The CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) of cheating and forgery against unknown officials of the factory, accusing them of conspiring with the Delhi-based firm, which was chosen to supply parts for the manufacture of the artillery guns.

The junior works manager of Guns Carriage Factory (GCF) was found dead in a drain on Tuesday, the police said. SC Kathua, 45, was missing since January 17 after being summoned by the CBI in connection with the alleged supply of Chinese-spare parts for production of indigenised Bofors guns used by the Army.

The junior works manager of Guns Carriage Factory (GCF) was found dead in a drain on Tuesday, the police said. SC Kathua, 45, was missing since January 17 after being summoned by the CBI in connection with the alleged supply of Chinese-spare parts for production of indigenised Bofors guns used by the Army. A blood-stained blade was also found near the body of Mr Kathua. The body, which was found in the factory area behind Section 2 region of GCF, was severely decomposed. The police have sent the body for post-mortem. The family of Mr Kathua suspect murder, however, the police believe that he committed suicide. His wife Mausami Khatua had filed a missing report with Ghamapur police station in Jabalpur on January 18. Earlier in July 2017, the CBI had filed a case against Delhi-based firm the Gun Carriage Factory, for selling fake Chinese spare parts to the ordnance factory, which come under the production department of the Defence Ministry. The CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) of cheating and forgery against unknown officials of the factory, accusing them of conspiring with the Delhi-based firm, which was chosen to supply parts for the manufacture of the artillery guns.

Bofors scandal: Officer summoned by CBI found dead in Madhya Pradesh

The less-than-supersonic sale of French Rafale fighter jets to India has highlighted the obstacles facing foreign arms firms seeking to do business with the world&#39;s biggest weapons importer. 
 
India has signed a series of key defence deals under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of a $100 billion upgrade of its Soviet-era military hardware, making it an attractive proposition for arms exporters. 
 
But a series of corruption scandals have made India a challenging environment, with huge delays and a tough negotiation process. 
 
After nearly a decade of discussions and setbacks, India signed a deal Friday to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for 7.9 billion Euros ($8.8 billion) as it seeks to bolster its military against an increasingly assertive China. 
 
Defence experts say the aircraft, manufactured by France&#39;s Dassault, will provide a much-needed boost to India&#39;s air force. 
 
But the final windfall was much less than had been hoped for by the French. 
 
&quot;The Indians always conduct very tough negotiations. They are known for it,&quot; said Isabelle Saint-Mezard, a specialist in South Asian strategic issues at the University of Paris. 
 
&quot;They have all the major weapons suppliers knocking at their door, so they are well positioned to do so.&quot; 
 
Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, has gained experience of India&#39;s bargaining tactics in recent years. 
 
&quot;India is a school of patience,&quot; he said. 
 
The country ranks 130 out of 189 on the World Bank&#39;s Ease of Doing Business index -- the worst of all G20 countries -- and regulations vary capriciously across its 29 states, where even the same law can be interpreted in bafflingly different ways. 
 
&nbsp;Fear of corruption&nbsp; 
 
Allegations of corruption have scuppered Indian defence deals as far back as 1987, when then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s government collapsed over charges of kickbacks paid to Indian officials by the Swedish group Bofors to clinch a $1.3-billion artillery deal. 
 
Fears of further corruption meant that &quot;the modernisation of the armed forces stalled,&quot; said Gulshan Luthra of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. 
 
To erect safeguards against graft India ramped up its army of bureaucrats dealing with weapons sales, with contracts becoming trapped in a paper maze. 
 
The smallest comment on an arms deal required from a government department can delay a case for several months. 
 
&quot;In recent years, the authorities have tried to clamp down on graft. As a result, officials in charge of issuing contracts fear exposing themselves to suspicion of corruption and are reluctant to engage,&quot; said St. Mezard. 
 
For a contract to succeed, &quot;it usually takes strong political will at the highest level of the state,&quot; she added. 
 
But all these precautions do not prevent old demons resurfacing. 
 
In 2013 the government scrapped a $748 million contract with AgustaWestland helicopters following allegations it was won through kickbacks. 
 
 
Technology transfer&nbsp; 
 
Deals are also complicated because India is determined to achieve its goal of being less dependent on foreign trade for its military equipment. Its tenders are accompanied by significant technology transfer requests. 
 
For example, one mooted deal was to have seen Dassault assemble 108 out of 126 fighter jets on Indian soil. 
 
But the French refused to assume responsibility for all the planes that were to be built in India. 
 
&quot;The Indians insist on such deals, but without always having the means or the expertise to carry them out. As a result, suppliers are reluctant to embark on this sort of agreement,&quot; said St. Mezard. 
 
Faced with an urgent need to modernise its military, Modi&rsquo;s government finally opted for the direct sale of 36 ready-to-fly Rafale jets, which will be manufactured in France. 
 
But Dassault will be contractually bound to reinvest nearly half of the value of the deal in India, an obligation known as the offset clause. 
 
&quot;The offset rules are very complicated and opaque,&quot; said Rahul Bedi, a Jane&#39;s Defence Weekly analyst. &quot;We are talking high-tech and the Indian industry does not have the sophistication to absorb such offsets.&quot; 
 
India has signed several big-ticket deals since Hindu nationalist Modi took power in 2014. 
 
The increasing assertiveness of its giant neighbour China as well as its simmering rivalry with Pakistan has increased its need to upgrade its military. 
 
That signals many potential contracts for foreign arms suppliers -- despite the obstacles. 
 
(AFP)

A series of corruption scandals involving arms deals have made India a challenging environment, with tough negotiations and long delays

The less-than-supersonic sale of French Rafale fighter jets to India has highlighted the obstacles facing foreign arms firms seeking to do business with the world's biggest weapons importer. India has signed a series of key defence deals under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of a $100 billion upgrade of its Soviet-era military hardware, making it an attractive proposition for arms exporters. But a series of corruption scandals have made India a challenging environment, with huge delays and a tough negotiation process. After nearly a decade of discussions and setbacks, India signed a deal Friday to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for 7.9 billion Euros ($8.8 billion) as it seeks to bolster its military against an increasingly assertive China. Defence experts say the aircraft, manufactured by France's Dassault, will provide a much-needed boost to India's air force. But the final windfall was much less than had been hoped for by the French. "The Indians always conduct very tough negotiations. They are known for it," said Isabelle Saint-Mezard, a specialist in South Asian strategic issues at the University of Paris. "They have all the major weapons suppliers knocking at their door, so they are well positioned to do so." Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, has gained experience of India's bargaining tactics in recent years. "India is a school of patience," he said. The country ranks 130 out of 189 on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index -- the worst of all G20 countries -- and regulations vary capriciously across its 29 states, where even the same law can be interpreted in bafflingly different ways. Fear of corruption Allegations of corruption have scuppered Indian defence deals as far back as 1987, when then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government collapsed over charges of kickbacks paid to Indian officials by the Swedish group Bofors to clinch a $1.3-billion artillery deal. Fears of further corruption meant that "the modernisation of the armed forces stalled," said Gulshan Luthra of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. To erect safeguards against graft India ramped up its army of bureaucrats dealing with weapons sales, with contracts becoming trapped in a paper maze. The smallest comment on an arms deal required from a government department can delay a case for several months. "In recent years, the authorities have tried to clamp down on graft. As a result, officials in charge of issuing contracts fear exposing themselves to suspicion of corruption and are reluctant to engage," said St. Mezard. For a contract to succeed, "it usually takes strong political will at the highest level of the state," she added. But all these precautions do not prevent old demons resurfacing. In 2013 the government scrapped a $748 million contract with AgustaWestland helicopters following allegations it was won through kickbacks. Technology transfer Deals are also complicated because India is determined to achieve its goal of being less dependent on foreign trade for its military equipment. Its tenders are accompanied by significant technology transfer requests. For example, one mooted deal was to have seen Dassault assemble 108 out of 126 fighter jets on Indian soil. But the French refused to assume responsibility for all the planes that were to be built in India. "The Indians insist on such deals, but without always having the means or the expertise to carry them out. As a result, suppliers are reluctant to embark on this sort of agreement," said St. Mezard. Faced with an urgent need to modernise its military, Modi’s government finally opted for the direct sale of 36 ready-to-fly Rafale jets, which will be manufactured in France. But Dassault will be contractually bound to reinvest nearly half of the value of the deal in India, an obligation known as the offset clause. "The offset rules are very complicated and opaque," said Rahul Bedi, a Jane's Defence Weekly analyst. "We are talking high-tech and the Indian industry does not have the sophistication to absorb such offsets." India has signed several big-ticket deals since Hindu nationalist Modi took power in 2014. The increasing assertiveness of its giant neighbour China as well as its simmering rivalry with Pakistan has increased its need to upgrade its military. That signals many potential contracts for foreign arms suppliers -- despite the obstacles. (AFP)

The Rafale saga: Obstacles foreign arms firms face in sealing deals with India

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Bofors scandal: Officer summoned by CBI found dead in Madhya Pradesh

The Rafale saga: Obstacles foreign arms firms face in sealing deals with India