CBI’s appeal against Bofors acquittals 13 years too late: Supreme Court

Late by 13 years to challenge an order acquitting the Hinduja brothers in the politically sensitive Bofors gun deal scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday beat a hasty retreat in the Supreme Court as the judges were not convinced to admit such a belated appeal.

Although this came as a setback not just for the CBI but also the Centre that was in favour of filing the appeal, the order does not shut out the CBI from the case as yet. The order challenged by CBI was a 2005 decision of the Delhi HC against which a lawyer Ajay Kumar Agarwal has already filed an appeal which is pending with the Court. Since CBI is party to that petition, the bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi allowed the probe agency to raise all grounds of appeal while appearing in that matter.

The Rs 64 crore payoff scam in the Bofors gun deal had tarnished the image of the then PM Rajiv Gandhi after reports emerged of kickbacks given to middlemen to swing the deal in favour of India. The case prolonged for years until in 2005, Delhi HC quashed all charges against three brothers — SP Hinduja, GP Hinduja and PP Hinduja among others under Prevention of Corruption Act.