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Crucial Bofors papers handed over to CBI

Special Judge Ajit Bharioke on Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to retain the final set of crucial Bofors papers which may reveal the names of more beneficiaries in the Rs 640-million kickbacks case.

The CBI will now scrutinise the papers and file a supplementary chargesheet soon. Earlier, the CBI had filed a chargesheet on November 22, 1999, naming five persons -- Ottavio Quattrochhi, Win Chaddha, Martin Ardbo, his company A B Bofors and the former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar.

The final set of papers had arrived from Switzerland on December 19 and was presented before District Judge M A Khan on December 20, who fixed January 3 as the date for them to be presented before the designated court of Ajit Bharioke.

The 76-year-old Dubai-based Win Chaddha has moved an application seeking withdrawal of the non-bailable arrest warrant against him as the summons served on him earlier was not in accordance with the United Arab Emirates law. His counsel Gopal Subramaniam said Chaddha is ready to come to India and face trial if provided with an Indian passport and a visa with directions to the UAE government to retain his visa on the fresh passport.

Earlier his Belize passport had been impounded by the UAE government on the insistence of the Indian government. He was also denied permission by the UAE government to go to America to see his ailing wife.

Arguments regarding the legal aspects of summoning Indian residents staying abroad were also heard. Bharioke has fixed January 6 for further arguments in regard to the cancellation of the non-bailable warrant against Chaddha.

UNI

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