Published 13:32 IST, August 10th 2018
IMPACT: 40 days after Expose, Supreme Court accepts plea for Early hearing in the Bofors case
40 days after Republic's expose, In a major development in the Rs. 64-crore Bofors pay-off case. Supreme Court has accepted the application for early hearing on the case
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40 days after Republic's expose, in a major development in the Rs. 64-crore Bofors pay-off case, Supreme Court on Friday has accepted the application for early hearing on the case on October 8, which basically means that Bofors case is now open 12 years after it was last shut.
Senior lawyer and Congress leader Majeed Memon lashed out at the Central Bureau of Investigation after SC's decision. "Are they not slaves of law or their political bosses?" He also commented on Republic expose of the Bofors case where in he warned any pre-judgement in the case. "Republic helped a great deal in pursuits of justice but don't pre-judge."
The Journalist who broke the Bofors scam and Republic's editorial advisor Chitra Subramaniam commended the Supreme Court's decision and said that there is only one way for this case to go and that is to move forward.
Earlier, An application was moved in the top court seeking the early hearing of the case after a fresh report suggesting a financial quid-pro-quo for the Rs. 1,437-crore Howitzer gun deal in 1986. Ajay Agrawal, advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, challenged the Delhi High Court’s May 31, 2005 judgement quashing all charges against the Europe-based Hinduja brothers.
On July 23, Republic TV broke a world exclusive about the first big scam in India, which the media exposed but had never solved — the Bofors scandal.
On 24 March 1986, a multi-million dollar contract between the Government of India and Swedish arms company Bofors was signed for supply of 410 155mm Howitzer field guns. It was then the biggest arms deal ever in Sweden.
Read | Bofors Scandal Explained
11:10 IST, September 1st 2017