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T L Garg in New Delhi
Arguments in the Bofors payoff case, which were to begin on Friday, have been bogged down in legalities with one of those charged questioning the manner in which the trial has been split.
Former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar contended before the Delhi high court on Thursday that he had not been heard before a lower court split the trial on May 25 and that the separation was, therefore, illegal.
Judge S K Agarwal has now asked the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, to file its reply by August 3.
Bhatnagar is among the eight persons named in the case. The others named in the case are former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the three Hinduja brothers - Shrichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand - former Bofors agent Win Chadha, former Bofors head Martin Ardbo and Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.
Trial judge R L Chugh had ordered the separation of the trial to ensure that the case was not held up due to the absence of Quattrochi and Ardbo, who are yet to be brought to India.
While Quattrocchi is contesting the extradition proceedings against him in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the Stockholm-based Ardbo is also unlikely to be brought to India in the near future, according to CBI sources.
Indo-Asian News Service
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