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India signed a 155 mm of 400 hovewiters cannons from the Swedish company AB Bofors.
The Central Investigation Agency (CBI) has sought information related to Michael Harshman who claims the Bofors scam from the US. Hershman visited India in 2017. He claimed that the then Congress government had derailed the investigation into the scam. Harshman then expressed his desire to share important information related to the Bofors case with CBI.
The Bofors scam is in the year 1986, when Rajiv Gandhi’s government was. It was alleged that the Swedish company AB Bofors gave a bribe of Rs 60 crore to the Indian leaders and the Ministry of Defense for the deal.
Now consider the whole matter a series….
What did Hershman claim The Chief Harshman of the Fairfax Group claimed in several interviews in 2017 that in 1986 the Government of India Finance Ministry had entrusted the task of investigating the money laundering related to Indians abroad. Some Bofors were related to the deal.
Where are the evidence related to the claim The CBI started collecting information related to Harshman’s claims 8 years ago, in which he said that the Indian government has given him the responsibility of investigating. The documents related to the appointment of Hershman or the details of a report submitted by their behalf, when the Finance Ministry was sought. So those records were not provided to the investigating agency.
What did CBI do for 8 years
- The CBI, who has been investigating for the last several years, also contacted Interpol. Many times requested but no result was found.
- On November 8, 2023, 21 December, 2023, 13 May, 2024 and 14 August, 2024, letters were sent to US officials, not getting information.
In 2025 CBI sent letters to letters (LR) When no response was received after the letter sent to Interpol and US authorities. Finally, the CBI had to send a letter to the US (LR) America. On January 14 this year, the CBI got the green signal to send letters to the US from the Ministry of Home Affairs to America. The CBI court approved the LR application on 11 February.
There is a written request sent to the court of another country to investigate a criminal case or to assist in a criminal case by a letter of letter in the letter.
Approving the CBI application for issuing LR, a special court said,
It is requested that it is necessary to find out the facts related to the claims made in Michael Harshman’s interview. This requires both documentary and oral evidence. In such a situation, it is necessary to investigate in America.
Case 39 years old, now how to investigate The CBI registered a case in 1990 regarding Bofors. In 1989, a Swedish radio channel alleged that India’s politicians and defense officials were bribed by Bofors to achieve the deal.
CBI filed charge sheet in 1999 and 2000. Rajiv Gandhi was convicted by the Delhi High Court in 2004. In 2005, the Delhi High Court dismissed all the allegations against the remaining accused and said that the CBI could not prove the allegations.
The CBI appealed to the Supreme Court in 2018 against the 2005 court verdict but was rejected on the basis of delay.
Bofors scandal had to resign, Congress government left
The Congress won 404 seats in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections led by Rajiv Gandhi. He worked as Prime Minister for 5 years 32 days.
On 24 March 1986, the Rajiv Gandhi government signed a deal of Rs 1,437 crore with Sweden’s weapon -making company AB Bofors. Under this deal, the Indian Army was to be supplied 400 Hovitzer cannon with 155 mm. Most people of the country are also called Bofors cannons.
Senior journalist Debashish Mukherjee writes in his book ‘The Discipline: How VP Singh Shuk India’ that the deal was accused of corruption. Due to this, VP Singh, who was the Defense Minister in the Rajiv government, resigned on 12 April 1987. Four days after the resignation, on 16 April 1987, the Radio in Sweden reported that there was a bribery in the defense deal with India. Sweden’s media claimed that the AB Bofors company has given a bribe of 60 crores to the big leaders of the Government of India and an official of the Defense Department for the deal.
According to media reports, Ottavio Quattokki, a businessman from Italy, near the Rajiv Gandhi family, played the role of middleman in this case. He sent the brokerage amount to the leaders. The 1989 elections were held in the midst of the allegations, in which the Congress party lost.
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(Tagstotranslate) Central Investigation Agency (T) CBI (T) Bofors Scam (T) Michael Hershman (T) Congress (T) Congress (T) Rajiv Gandhi (T) Swedish Company AB Bofors Deal
