IANS

NEW DELHI, Mar 9: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested arms dealer Suresh Nanda and his son Sanjeev for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the purchase of Barak missiles from Israel in 2000, CBI sources said on Sunday.

Suresh Nanda, son of former Indian Navy chief Admiral S.M. Nanda, and his son were arrested late Saturday from their house in the capital. The CBI has also raided Suresh Nanda's residence in Mumbai. Their chartered accounted has also been held.

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier suspended Suresh Nanda's passport on the CBI's request.

The CBI has accused Suresh Nanda of receiving Rs.4 million ($99,943.82) in kickbacks after a deal to purchase Israeli Barak missiles was signed during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime.

The $100 million (Rs.3.9 billion) deal had come under the scanner after it was alleged that then defence minister George Fernandes had overruled, at the behest of Suresh Nanda, the opinion of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that it could develop a system similar to the Barak.