No need for special investigation team to decipher Bofors papers: CBI chief

Central Bureau of Investigation Director Joginder Singh says there is no need to form a special investigation team or seek Interpol's assistance in the Bofors case.

The agency usually forms such a team -- SIT -- to investigate very important cases. CBI sources last week had hinted that the agency was planning to seek external assistance to accelerate the investigation.

Singh said the agency officials involved in decoding the Swiss bank documentswere doing ''a fine job''. The CBI, he added, would be able to complete the investigation within three months.

The CBI director then made a startling revelation. He claimed he had "not seen the papers myself.'' Asked how he could monitor the progress of the investigation if he did not see the papers, he claimed he did not interfere "with the work of my officials.''

Singh said efforts were on simultaneously to secure the documents relating to the fifth account of the alleged beneficiaries of the gun deal.

Asked whether any delay in securing this information would impede the progress of the investigation, the CBI director said ''whatever cases are there should be pursued expeditiously.'' He was apparently referring to an appeal pending in a Swiss court against handing over these papers.

A CBI spokesman said Singh's reported meeting with Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Saturday had nothing to do with the Bofors case. ''It was a routine call by the CBI director and some other bureau officials on the prime minister. It was merely an administrative meeting,'' the agency official claimed.

It is, however, understood that the prime minister, who is acutely aware of the ramifications of any revelations, is being briefed on an ongoing basis by Singh and other CBI officials.

Agency sources said no progress report had been submitted to the special CBI court headed by Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke. The bureau also not yet decided if it wants to interrogate anyone in the case.

The progress on deciphering the bank documents will be reviewed this weekend, agency sources said.

Meanwhile, Bofors A B says it hopes the handing over of the Swiss bank documents to the Indian authorities will lead to the case being finally settled.

'The present management of Bofors A B has nothing to hide and looks very much forward to normalising relations with the Indian government and Indian authorities," a statement issued by the Swedish arms manufacturer said on Monday.

Bofors A B was blacklisted by the Indian government in the wake of allegations of kickbacks in the howitzer gun deal.