Bofors probe to continue: CBI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 16

The CBI today announced that its probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64-crore kickbacks in the purchase of the Swedish artillery guns would continue.

In a statement, the agency said, “In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, the CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case.”

It said, on May 8, the court had observed that “when independent right and power is available with the CBI” to further investigate the matter on their own and if in their wisdom, it was necessary to do so then, “why still such application is being filed in the court”.

“After obtaining legal opinion, the CBI filed an application on May 16 in the court stating that for conducting further investigation under Section 173(8) of the CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice,” the statement read, which went on to add: “The probe in the Bofors case will continue”.

The CBI’s response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.