Parliament panel members want CBI to 'reopen' Bofors case
The six-member PAC sub-committee on defence is looking into non-compliance of certain aspects of the Comptroller and Auditor General or CAG report of 1986 on the Bofors howitzer gun deal.
New Delhi, July 14: The Bofors arms case involving allegations of kickbacks to then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and other top officials should be reopened and the CBI should ask for the government's permission to go to the Supreme Court for it, a group of MPs said at a meeting.
CBI Director Alok Verma faced questions from the members of the sub-committee on defence attached to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on why the premier investigating agency did not approach the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court dismissed proceedings in the case in 2005, reports PTI.
The
six-member
PAC
sub-committee
on
defence
is
looking
into
non-compliance
of
certain
aspects
of
the
Comptroller
and
Auditor
General
or
CAG
report
of
1986
on
the
Bofors
howitzer
gun
deal.
Verma
and
Defence
Secretary
Sanjay
Mitra
were
among
the
officials
who
appeared
before
the
panel
headed
by
BJD
MP
Bhartruhari
Mahtab.
During the meeting, several members including Mr Mahtab and BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey said that the CBI should "reopen" the case and file a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, the two members who were present at the meeting said on condition of anonymity.
Both the lawmakers are from different political parties. The Bofors scandal relating to alleged payment of kickbacks in procurement of howitzer artillery guns had triggered a massive political storm and led to the fall of the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1989.
CBI wanted to approach SC in 2005
The CBI wanted to approach the Supreme Court in 2005 after the Delhi High court quashed the Bofors case but it was denied permission by the then UPA government, Dubey said.
OneIndia News