ELECTION 99
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Bofors papers submitted to Delhi court today

Special Correspondent in New Delhi

The last batch of Bofors papers have reached New Delhi. The papers, brought by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a sealed cover from Berne in Switzerland, were submitted to a city court today. The CBI has requested custody of the papers for the sake of further investigation. But because of the absence of the designated judge Ajit Bharihoke, who is currently on leave, judge M A Khan adjourned the hearing of the CBI's plea to January 3.

Highly placed sources said the CBI was expected to take two weeks to scrutinise the papers -- once it got it -- and file supplementary chargesheets in five weeks' time. CBI director R K Raghavan said the investigating agency would take immediate action on the basis of the contents of the documents.

The Bofors case relates to the payment of Rs 640 million as commission in the purchase of howitzer guns from Bofors AB based in Sweden.

The last batch of papers was to have been delivered last year, but was blocked by appeals even then. The appeals were finally rejected by the Swiss courts, which directed that the papers be handed over to the Indian authorities.

The Bofors case is at present pending in the special court set up to adjudicate the matter, and various names have been mentioned in the chargesheet. These include late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, non-resident businessman Win Chaddha, former bureaucrat S K Bhatnagar, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi and former Bofors chief executive officer Martin Ardbo.

Besides them, it is the suspected involvement of the Hindujas that has created such a furore. The Hindujas, billionaire businessmen based in London, are known to be close to many politicians, including some from the ruling coalition.

Chaddha, Quattrocchi and Ardbo are out of the country, leaving only Bhatnagar present during the hearing of the case.

The special judge hearing the case, Ajit Bharihoke, has issued non-bailable warrants for Win Chaddha and Ardbo, both declared absconding, while Bhatnagar has been granted bail on condition that he must not leave the country.

The government has also received some papers from Luxembourg which would be used in the speedy trial of the Bofors payoffs case.

The government has ruled out disclosing the contents, saying these could only be produced before a court of law as per an agreement with Switzerland.

THE BOFORS PAYOFF SCANDAL

Tell us what you think of this report