The Karnataka High Court has reserved its judgment regarding the petition of Surya Sareen, CEO of Akon Inc, an Indian-origin American businessman, who is seeking to dismiss a CBI case alleging irregularities in defense supplies to India’s DRDO in 2009. Sareen, who is currently facing extradition efforts and a Red Corner Notice, has been accused of delivering faulty radio frequency (RF) generators through his company, which secured a contract exceeding one million USD to supply these components to the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), a unit of DRDO.
The controversy dates back over a decade, when Akon Inc was tasked with providing 35 voltage-controlled oscillator-based RF generators crucial for advanced radar systems. Faults in these supplies reportedly resulted in significant delays in the deployment of radar systems along India’s borders, prompting a CBI investigation that culminated in a chargesheet filed in 2023.
During the court proceedings, Sareen’s defense emphasized his advanced age of 79 and existing health concerns, arguing that the case should be seen as a commercial dispute rather than a criminal matter. They also highlighted the considerable delay in the investigation, with the CBI only registering an FIR in 2020 following preliminary inquiries that began much earlier.
The CBI, on the other hand, defended the investigation’s timeline by asserting the necessity for a meticulous examination of the allegations, which included involvement by senior DRDO officials in procuring subpar equipment. The case also involves accusations against two former DARE officials, ex-director U.K. Revankar and senior scientist Priya Suresh, alongside Sareen and his company.
