The government on Thursday spoke of the 'possibility of sabotage' during winter trials of the country's indigenous Arjun Tank, prompting Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor and other top officials to rush to the Avadi tank factory to carry out fresh inspections.

Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh told media persons that the possibility of sabotage during the recent winter trials of the Arjun tank needed to be examined.

He said though the German engines in the tanks had been used for over 15 years, 'it should be examined how they broke down during the winter trials'.

"How can this happen all of a sudden," he wondered, as he responded to questions whether the tanks had failed in winter trials conducted by the army.

Eight years after the force placed an order for 124 tanks with the Ordinance Factory Board, the Army, in an scathing indictment of the tank's performance, has told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that the tanks had 'fared very badly'.

Army officers have informed the Committee that the tanks were miles away from meeting the Army's requirement and several improvements needed to be carried out before they could be declared battle worthy.