Cbi Questions Sundarji On Bofors

Former Army chief general K Sundarji and former director general (weapons and equipment) Lt Gen M Mayadas, were yesterday examined by the CBIs special investigation team (sit) in connection with the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-offs case.

While Gen (retd) Sundarji spent about five hours with the CBI, throwing light on various aspects of the Bofors issue, Lt Gen (retd) Mayadas was questioned for two hours at the agency headquarters at the CGO complex here, CBI sources said. However, details of questioning were not forthcoming. With the interrogation of these two officers, the CBI has so far examined five generals after having received vital Swiss bank documents from Berne regarding secret accounts of the alleged recipients of the kickbacks.

Gen Mayadas had led a six-member evaluation team to assess four guns, including Bofors (Swedish) and Sofma (French), during 1983-84, while it was during Gen Sundarjis tenure as the army chief that the controversial deal for supply of 410 155 mm howitzer gun deal was signed.

Gen Sundarji has already alleged possible involvement of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his office in the alleged cover-up of the deal, which has been rejected by the family of the late premier.

The controversy over the gun deal had resulted in the Congress getting drubbed at the hustings in the 1989 Parliament elections.