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CBI interrogates G P Hinduja, to continue on Sunday

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday interrogated the third of the Hinduja brothers, Gopichand, in connection with his alleged role in the Bofors payoff case and blocking the transfer of documents from Switzerland.

CBI spokesman S M Khan told reporters that G P Hinduja would be interrogated again on Sunday by the agency's special investigation group.

Hinduja spent over three hours at the CBI's headquarters in New Delhi with the agency's investigators, whose questioning focussed on the payment the Hindujas have admitted to having received from AB Bofors. The brothers have, however, maintained that the payments received by them were not related to the Bofors gun deal with India.

G P Hinduja had appeared at the CBI headquarters on Sunday last to offer certain clarifications on the payment received by the Hindujas from Bofors.

The CBI Spokesman said the questioning of the brothers would go on till January 30, after which the agency would submit a detailed report to the designated court.

Emerging from the multi-storeyed CBI building, Hinduja refused to answer any questions by reporters, but said, "I am only going to give you a statement as the entire matter is sub-judice."

The statement denied that the present inquiry by the CBI was connected with the granting of British citizenship to the Hindujas in 1999.

Reading out the statement to reporters, G P Hinduja said, "We have come here voluntarily to submit to the judicial process and to prove our innocence.

"We have full faith in the Indian judicial process and we have co-operated with the CBI and answered all their questions and whatever they need. We are not hiding behind our constitutional right to silence or behind our foreign passports."

He said, "There is no link between the Bofors inquiry and our taking [British] passports. If this was true, we would not have been here voluntarily supporting the [due] course of law."

A designated court, which extended the Hindujas' interrogation till January 30, will hear the applications of the three brothers to leave the country after a detailed report of their interrogation is submitted.

The CBI has accused them of having receiving 81 million Swedish kroners as kickbacks from AB Bofors in the gun deal.

The agency has completed the interrogation of Hinduja Group chairman Srichand P Hinduja and Geneva-based Prakash P Hinduja, but said it could call them again if it requires further clarifications.

PTI

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