Delhi court to hear CBI plea in Bofors case on May 11

Delhi's Tis Hazari court will on May 11 hear the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea seeking direction to allow a further probe into the Bofors case.

The court posted the matter for hearing after noting that the original records' file pertaining to the matter is with the Supreme Court.

On February 2, the CBI moved the Supreme Court challenging the 2005 Delhi High Court's order, which quashed charges against the accused in the scam, saying that certain new material has surfaced in the case that needs further investigation.

The Rs. 64-crore Bofors scam, relating to alleged payment of kickbacks in the procurement of howitzer artillery guns, dates back to 1980s and 1990s when the Congress was in power with Rajiv Gandhi as the prime minister.

The then central government had signed a 1.4-billion dollar defence deal with Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors for the sale of 410 field howitzer guns and a supply contract almost twice that amount.

In April 1987, the Swedish Radio had claimed that the company paid bribes to senior Indian politicians and Army personnel to secure the deal. Gandhi was also implicated in the case.

In 1990, the CBI booked then president of Bofors, Martin Ardbo, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code, as well as for corruption.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company. A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers on October 9, 2000.