Bofors scam: A timeline of the 31-year-old, Rs 1,437-cr India-Sweden deal

The politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors pay-off case is once again in the limelight as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought the government's permission to file a plea that could lead to reopening of the Bofors case.

The Bofors deal, signed in 1986, was believed to be one of primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress' defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections.

Here is a timeline of the Bofors case:

March 24, 1986: The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered on March 24, 1986. 

April 16, 1987: The Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, had claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel. 

April 20, 1987: Rajiv Gandhi told the Lok Sabha that no kickbacks were paid and no middlemen were involved. 

August 6, 1987: Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up under former union minister B Shankaranand to investigate the kickbacks allegations.

February 1988: Indian investigators visit Sweden to probe the issue

July 18, 1989: JPC submitted report to the Parliament 

November 1989: Congress was defeated in general elections, therefore, Rajiv Gandhi lost his position.

December 26, 1989: Then prime minister V P Singh-led government barred Bofors from signing any contract with India.

January 22, 1990: The CBI had registered the FIR for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then President of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and Hinduja brothers.

February 1990: First Letter Rogatory sent to Swiss Government. 

February 1992: Journalist Bo Anderson’s report on the Bofors scandal was published, which created a massive controversy.

December 1992: The Supreme Court rejected the complaint in the case reversing Delhi High Court’s decision.

July 1993: The Swiss Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of Ottavio Quattrocchi and other accused in the case. Quattrocchi was an Italian businessman who was being sought until early 2009 in India for criminal charges for acting as a conduit for bribes in the Bofors scandal. In the same month, Quattrocchi left India and has not returned since. 

February 1997: Non-bailable warrant (NBW) and Red Corner notice issued against Quattrocchi.

March-August 1998: Quattrocchi filed a plea, which was rejected in Supreme Court as he refused to appear in the Indian court.

December 1998: Second Rogatory Letter sent to the Swiss government to probe into the transfer of money from Guernsey and Austria to Switzerland.

October 22, 1999: The first charge sheet in the case was filed against Win Chadda, who was an agent of A B Bofors, Quattrocchi, then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Martin Karl Ardbo, who was the president of the gun manufacturer, and the Bofors company. 

March-September 2000: Chadha came to India to face trial and sought permission to go to Dubai for medical treatment but the plea was rejected. An open NBC was issued in July against Ardbo.

September-October 2000: Hinduja brothers issued a statement in London that said that the funds allocated by them had no connection to the Bofors deal. However, a supplementary charge sheet was filed against Hinduja brothers and a chargesheet was filed against Quattrocchi, who asked Supreme Court to reverse the order of his arrest but when the court asked him to appear before CBI for a probe, he refused to oblige. 

December 2000: Quattrocchi was arrested in Malaysia, but later received bail on the condition that he does not leave the country.

August 2001: Bhatnagar dies of cancer

December 2002: India requested for Quattrocchi’s extradition but Malaysia High Court turned down the request.

July 2003: Letter of Rogatory sent by India to the United Kingdom seeking the freezing of Quattrocchi's bank accounts.

February-March 2004: Court had exonerated late Rajiv Gandhi and Bhatnagar the case and directed framing of charge of forgery under Section 465 of IPC against the Bofors company. Malaysian Supreme Courted rejected India’s extradition request of Quattrocchi.

May-October 2005: Delhi HC quashed charges against the Hinduja brother and A B Bofors. The apex court had allowed Ajay Agarwal, a Supreme Court lawyer, to file an appeal against the high court verdict in the absence of any appeal by CBI within the mandatory 90 days.

January 2006: SC directs Centre and CBI to ensure the status quo of freezing Quattrocchi's accounts. However, money was withdrawn on the same day.

February-June 2007: The Interpol arrested Quattrochi at Iguazu Airport in Argentine. Three months later, the Federal court of the first instance declined India’s request for extradition.

April-November 2009: CBI withdrew Red Corner Notice against Quattrocchi and sought SC’s permission to withdraw the case as continuous efforts of extradition had failed. Later, Ajay Agarwal filed an RTI application seeking the documents of de-freezing Quattrocchi’s account in London, but CBI refused to reply to the plea.

December 2010: Court reversed order on CBI plea to discharge Quattrochhi. Income tax tribunal asked the income tax department to get the tax dues from Quattrochhi and Chaddha’s son.

February-March 2011: Chief Information Commission accused CBI of withholding information. A month later, a special CBI court in Delhi had discharged Quattrocchi from the case saying the country cannot afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which has already cost Rs 250 crore. 

April 2012: Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom revealed that he was the Deep Throat in the Bofors case and the key source that Chitra Subramaniam turned to. He added that the Swedish Police had no evidence of Rajiv Gandhi or Amitabh Bachchan, who was a close friend the former prime minister, receiving kickbacks in the Bofors scam. Amitabh Bachchan's name first appeared in this scandal through a newspaper who printed his name and a case was filed against him but later he was declared innocent.

July 2013: Quattrocchi, who fled from here on July 29-30, 1993, has never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on July 13, 2013. The other accused persons who have died are Bhatnagar, Chadda and Ardbo. 

December 1, 2016: The hearing of Agarwal’s had taken place after a gap of almost six years since August 12, 2010.  

July 14, 2017: The CBI said it would open the investigation on the Bofors case if the Supreme Court and Centre orders for the same.

October 19, 2017: CBI asserted that they will probe the facts and circumstances revealed in connection to Bofors scam, including the information provided by Michael Hershman to a TV channel in an interview, wherein he made several revelations and named some powerful politicians in India linked with the deal. Michael Hershman, who first found Bofors papers, was a secret investigator the Indian government had deployed.