BJP members in Lok Sabha demand reopening of Bofors probe

NEW DELHI: Ruling BJP MPs today demanded reopening of investigation into the Bofors kick-back scandal after a fresh media report suggested a financial quid-pro-quo before the gun deal was signed in March 1986.

Meenakshi Lekhi and Nishikant Dubey, both BJP members of the Lok Sabha, sought a probe since the year 2005 to establish whether illegal payments were made for buying the guns.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Lekhi said the 'genie' of Bofors case will continue to haunt the Congress party until a proper investigation is conducted.

Referring to a media report alluding to a quid-pro-quo, she said the ghost of Bofors has come to haunt again and it will continue to do so unless buried after proper investigation.

"No action was taken on documents received from Swiss Banks. Those documents are locked in government boxes," she said, adding no action was taken on Letter Rogatory sent.

She went on to refer to bail being granted in the case despite it being an offence where bail could not have been granted.

"It is continuously stated that it is a 30-year-old issue, so why raise it now. I believe that unless it is given a proper burial, the genie will continue to haunt," she said. "Today the geine is out of the bottle again. The country deserves to know what exactly happened."

She said such a big corruption issue has again been highlighted on TV.

India had in March 1986 signed a deal to buy 410 155mm guns. It is alleged that bribes up to USD 10 million were paid for the deal.

Dubey said a chargesheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999 and a second on October 9, 2000. High Court, in a judgement, quashed the chargesheet on May 31, 2005, he said.

When the chargsheet was quashed, CBI told the then government that the case should be revived but DoPT - the reporting administrative ministry of CBI - did not give permission, the BJP member said.

The Law Ministry also had said that this case should not continue, he alleged.

He went on to allege that when Supreme Court in 2006 gave an order, the entire money was withdrawn from London bank.

He demanded that CBI should reopen the case from 2005. "The Central government should file an affidavit in Supreme Court for reopening of the case."