Monday, July 4 2005 10:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: The BBC has alleged that NRI businessmen Hindujas broke international sanctions that bar British citizens from entering into agreements to ship "military specification" vehicles to Sudan, according to the "Sunday Times" yesterday (July 03, 2005).

According to the newspaper, undercover reporters of BBC persuaded the Hindujas to agree to supply 20 Stallion 4x4 trucks worth 424,000 pounds by posing as "security consultants" working for an unspecified aid agency in Sudan. The Sudanese government has been charged with massacring thousands of people in Darfur region.

Shahrokh Mireskandari of Dean and Dean, the solicitors representing the Hindujas, said "I find it disgusting that the Hindujas were tricked by someone impersonating a priest. (They) explained at all times that the trucks were only for humanitarian purposes".

A spokesman of the Hindujas said they would take legal action against BBC if it tried to portray in the sting operation that the Group company Ashok Leyland was trying to sell "military" vehicles to Sudan.

"The family were tricked and have broken no laws. They have been unfairly targeted and the BBC has set out to try to entrap them. They will now use the full power of the law to stop the programme being broadcast", he said.

Sunday Times said the BBC News night programme was intended to be screened coinciding with the opening of the G-8 summit on Wednesday.

The BBC has been quoted by Sunday Times as saying "we don't comment on any work which may or may not be in the pipeline."

Ashok Leyland, an Indian company owned by the Hinduja family, had earlier this year entered into negotiations with a Sudanese company to build trucks and buses in that country, Sunday Times said.

It said three men who sought to buy trucks to assemble in Sudan approached Ashok Leyland in May. One of them claimed to be an American priest from New York, another said he was an Irish-based "security consultant" and the third a Manchester- based "procurement consultant" working for an unnamed aid agency.

The three met an executive of Ashok Leyland who agreed to supply the vehicles for humanitarian purpose. The meeting took place in a five-star hotel in Kensington, west London, the newspaper said.

The men then insisted on speaking to a member of the Hinduja family. They were put in contact with Dheeraj Hinduja, vice president of the Group. He confirmed he was aware of the humanitarian deal and was happy for it to proceed, according to Sunday Times.

A spokesman of Ashok Leyland today said Chennai-based "Ashok Leyland is registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956 and is governed by the Indian laws. There are no prohibitions or restrictions under the Indian laws for exporting vehicles to Sudan. And we have not violated any laws."

He said "in February 2005, Ashok Leyland signed a cooperation agreement with GIAD, Sudan for CKD supply of 50 Falcon buses, 50 Eagle minibuses and 100 Stallion off-road trucks, to be assembled at the Khartoum facility of GIAD, and to be used for civilian passenger transportation and humanitarian purposes. The agreement also envisaged joint efforts to develop after-sales infrastructure and explore market expansion. "However, no shipment has taken place against the agreement", he added.