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Bofors case hearing on Friday

The Bofors case will come up for hearing in the court of judge Ajit Bharihoke on Friday morning.

The Central Bureau of Investigation counsel, however, refused to confirm or deny whether the agency would file a chargesheet against three of the Hinduja brothers - Srichand, Gopichand and Prakash - during the hearing.

The CBI is investigating allegations of kickbacks having been paid in the multi-billion rupee howitzer gun deal involving Swedish gun manufacturer AB Bofors and the Indian government. The name of the Hinduja brothers figured prominently during this investigation.

The Hindujas had, on Thursday, issued a statement in London saying that they did receive money from Bofors, but that the money did not have any connection to the howitzer gun deal.

However, former CBI chief Joginder Singh, who had been involved in the investigations, has said that the CBI should verify the authenticity of the statement as the Hindujas had never before put forward this line of argument.

He also questioned the Hindujas' interest in blocking proceedings, in connection with the CBI investigation, in Swiss courts if indeed they had nothing to do with the howitzer gun deal.

After thirteen years of investigation, the CBI is yet to find the end recipient of the Bofors kickbacks. The CBI has been unable to get the Hindujas to come to India and help the investigations in this regard.

If the agency were to move British courts to get the Hinduja brothers to co-operate, the process may only prolong the investigations. The courts have to be convinced that the Hindujas are needed to stand trial in India and, for this, their guilt has to be established beyond doubt in the British courts.

EARLIER REPORTS
The Bofors Investigation

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