Bofors Papers Submitted To Court

The secret Swiss bank documents expected to throw light on the beneficiaries of the Bofors gun deal were filed by the CBI yesterday before a Delhi court which permitted the investigating agency to retain the same to conduct further investigations into the case.

The documents, which arrived from Berne in three sealed envelopes, after a seven-year legal wrangle, were deposited before the special judge, Ajit Bharihoke at 1515 hours and the proceedings were held inside his chamber.

The judge, after perusing them, granted CBIs request to retain and examine them for further investigations into the 1.3 billion-dollar gun deal, which rocked the countrys politics during the prime ministership of Rajiv Gandhi. The CBI, in its three-page application moved before the court by investigation officer, Umesh, said these documents so received are required by the agency for further investigation in the case and also being used as evidence in the case. The investigation of the case is in progress in India and abroad and further evidence are required to be collected, said the application moved through CBI counsel, U S Prasad.

 

The documents handed over in Berne, to Indian ambassador K P Balakrishnan were brought to India by CBI director Joginder Singh in the wee hours yesterday.

Bharihoke after perusing the application granted permission to the CBI in order to facilitate the investigation.

The judge said three envelops duly sealed with the seal of Indian embassy of Switzerland at Berne containing attested true copies of various documents duly attested by the department of federal justice and police were filed in the court by CBI.

The CBI in its application said that various offences including cheating were committed by certain public servants of india and some private parties of India and certain other countries who had entered into a criminal conspiracy during 1982-87.

The irregularities were committed in certain contracts by the government of India to AB Bofors of Sweden on March 24, 1986, which included the supply contract of the same date underwhich AB Bofors were to sell to government of India 410 number of 155 mm FH-77B guns at a total cost of sek 8410. 66 million (approximately Rs 1437.72 crore).

It mentioned that the first letter rogatory (letter of request) was issued by the then special judge R C Jain on February 7, 1990 to the competent judicial authority in confederation of Switzerland for investigation and collection of evidence.

The CBI had registered an fir in the case on January 22, 1990.