SC asks CBI to file response on Bofors kickbacks Petition

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed the CBI to file its response within four weeks to an application seeking retrieval of the kickback amount which was withdrawn by Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the Bofors guns scandal.

A Bench comprising Justices C K Thakkar and Lokeshwar Singh Panta issued the directions after hearing petitioner Ajay Kumar Agarwal, an advocate who contended that the CBI has facilitated the withdrawal of about 3 million dollars which were lying frozen in two UK banks.

According to the petitioner CBI deliberatly made a statement saying that there was no evidence against Quattrocchi in the case as the accounts were defrozen and the money was transfered into the account of Quattrocchi's wife in January 2006.

The petitioner has also alleged that the CBI was acting under political pressure of the Centre government and sought directions from the Court to secure presence of Quattrocchi in India so that he may be put on trial in the gun scandal in which a commission of Rs 64 crore was paid.

It may be noted here that the government has already spent about Rs 250 crore for investigating a scandal of Rs 64 crore.

So far as the case is concerned it has virtually reached a dead end as main accused Win Chadha and then Defence Secretary S K Bhatnagar have died and the kickback money has already been withdrawn.

Hinduja brothers were discharged by Delhi High Court. However, appeal against the High Court order is pending in the Court.

Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was also exonerated in the case UNI AKS/SC PDM PM1346