Bofors Case

The CBI will soon send a judicial request to the United States seeking information from private investigator Michael Hershman who had expressed willingness to share with Indian agencies crucial details about the Rs 64-crore Bofors bribery scandal of the 1980s, officials said Sunday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also informed a special court, which is hearing the agency's plea for further probe into the matter, about the developments. The process to send the Letters Rogatory (LR) was initiated in October this year, and it is expected to take around 90 days before the formal request is sent to the US, aimed at obtaining information to further investigate the alleged bribery case, the officials said. A Letter Rogatory is a written request sent by the court of one country to the court of another country to obtain assistance in the investigation or prosecution of a criminal matter. While the Delhi High Court had exonerated former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 2004, a y

The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wants to withdraw the application filed on February 1, 2018

The court however, said that an appeal against the same HC verdict filed by advocate Ajay Agarwal is pending and the CBI can raise all grounds in it

After a lot of deliberation, the CBI this year got the nod from the NDA government to file an appeal in the apex court

Rajiv Gandhi govt (1984-89) was rocked over allegations of kickbacks in purchase of 155-mm Howitzers guns from Swedish arms manufacturer

The CBI said it wanted to file an SLP challenging the Delhi High Court order of May 31, 2005, quashing all charges against Europe-based Hinduja brothers in the case

After BJP leader Agrawal filed the appeal, CBI has been appearing in the matter as one of the respondents

Justice R S Sodhi of Delhi High Court, had quashed all charges against the three Hinduja brothers and the Bofors company

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

The agency has sought the central government's permission to file a special leave petition that could lead to reopening of the Bofors case

A BJP MP said he has referred the matter to 'concerned agencies' for clarification

BJP MP Agarwal had challenged the Delhi High Court's May 31, 2005 judgment