CBI seeks Bofors case withdrawal against Q
The CBI on Tuesday contended before a Delhi court that there was “nothing new” in the Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) order that would obstruct the withdrawal of the over two-decade-old criminal proceedings and pleaded for closure in the Bofors payoff case against 70-year-old Italian businessman, Ottavio Quattrocchi.
Even as the CBI insisted for the closure in the Bofors case, a day after the ITAT held that he had received commission in the `1,437 crore howitzer gun deal with Swedish arms manufacturer’s Indian agent Win Chaddha, a city court on Tuesday asked the agency’s counsel to apprise it about the government’s stand on the issue in the way of the tribunal’s order.
As additional solicitor-general (ASG) P.P. Malhotra, appearing for the CBI, pressed for the closure of the case against Quattrocchi before the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) Vinod Yadav on the ground that no evidence could be gathered against him and there was no possibility of his extradition to India, the CMM asked the ASG whether he had got “fresh instructions” from the government in view of Monday’s decision of the ITAT.
As Mr Malhotra replied in the “negative”, the CMM adjourned the hearing on CBI’s application for withdrawing the case against Quattrocchi, the CMM, whose attention was withdrawn to a media statement of the law minister by petitioner lawyer Ajay Agrawal, told the ASG “I would like to know your comments on the law minister’s statement”.
Mr Agrawal, who had filed an application opposing the CBI plea for withdrawing the case, submitted that the ITAT in its order, had clearly pointed out that `41 crores commission was paid to Chaddha and Quattrocchi by howitzer manufacturer A.B. Bofors.
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