New Delhi: The Bofors scandal, one of India’s most enduring political controversies, has taken a significant turn with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking crucial information from the United States. This move could potentially revive the decades-old case, which had a profound impact on Indian politics and contributed to the electoral defeat of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989. At the heart of this development is Michael Hershman, a private investigator who claims to possess vital details about the alleged bribery scheme.
The CBI has sent a Letter Rogatory to the US Justice Department, specifically targeting Hershman, the head of the Fairfax Group, for insights into the Bofors bribery scandal. Hershman has previously alleged that the investigation was deliberately derailed by the Congress government in the 1980s. The Bofors deal, which involved the purchase of 400 howitzers for Rs 1,437 crore, was marred by allegations of a Rs 64 crore bribe. Despite previous attempts to gather information from US authorities in November 2023, December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024, the CBI received no response, prompting this formal request.
The Bofors scandal initially came to light in the late 1980s when a Swedish radio channel exposed alleged bribes paid to Indian officials. The CBI registered the case in 1990 and filed chargesheets in 1999 and 2000. However, the Delhi High Court exonerated Rajiv Gandhi in 2004 and quashed charges against other accused in 2005, citing insufficient evidence to prove that the money transferred by Bofors was intended as a bribe to public servants in India.
The Bofors scandal has remained a contentious issue in Indian politics, with questions still surrounding the involvement of key figures like Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman with close ties to the Rajiv Gandhi government. The recent move by the CBI to seek international cooperation reflects a renewed effort to uncover the truth behind one of India’s most infamous corruption cases.
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