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Chronology: Bofors graft row over last 25 years
Wednesday April 25, 2012 07:27:49 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: The
following is a chronology of events since the 1986 Bofors howitzer
payoff scandal - one of the major corruption scandals in India in
which then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and many others were
accused of receiving kickbacks from the Swedish gun manufacturer.
March 24, 1986: A $15 billion contract between the Indian
government and Swedish arms company AB Bofors is signed for the
supply of over 400 155 mm Howitzer field guns.
April 16, 1987: Swedish Radio claims Bofors paid kickbacks to top
Indian politicians and key defence officials to secure the deal
which was denied by Rajiv Gandhi.
Aug 6, 1987: A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is set up to
probe the allegations. It submitted its report two years later.
Nov 1989: With the opposition making the Bofors kickbacks a poll
issue, Rajiv Gandhi's Congress party is voted out of power in the
general elections.
Dec 26, 1989: Prime Minister V.P. Singh's government bars Bofors
from entering into any defence contract with India.
Jan 22, 1990: The CBI registers a complaint, following which Swiss
authorities freeze accounts of Svenska and AE Services, which
allegedly received unauthorised commissions for the deal.
May 21, 1991: While the case was being investigated, Rajiv Gandhi
assassinated.
July 29/30, 1993: Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, who
represented Italian fertiliser firm Snam Progetti for years,
leaves India to avoid arrest.
Jan 21, 1997: After four years of legal wrangles, secret documents
running into over 500 pages given to Indian authorities in Berne.
Jan 30, 1997: CBI sets up special investigation team for the case.
1997: Letters issued to Malaysia and UAE seeking arrest of
Quattrocchi and former Bofors agent Win Chadha. CBI files a case
against Quattrocchi, Chadha, defence secretary S.K. Bhatnagar,
former Bofors chief Martin Ardbo and the Bofors company. Rajiv
Gandhi's name figures as "an accused not sent for trial" as he was
assassinated in 1991.
March 18, 2000: Chadha comes to India to face trial.
Sep 29, 2000: Hindujas issue statement saying funds received by
them from Bofors had no connection with the gun deal.
Oct 9, 2000: CBI files supplementary chargesheet naming the
Hinduja brothers as accused.
Dec 20, 2000: Quattrocchi arrested in Malaysia, gets bail but is
asked to stay in the country.
August/October, 2001: Former defence secretary Bhatnagar dies of
cancer. Win Chadha dies of a heart attack.
Feb 4, 2004: Delhi High Court clears Rajiv Gandhi of involvement
in the scandal.
May 31, 2005: Delhi High Court clears the Hindujas of involvement.
Feb 6, 2007: Quattrocchi detained in Argentina on Interpol lookout
notice but later released.
Sep 29, 2009: Government tells Supreme Court about its decision to
withdraw the case against Quattrocchi.
Dec 14, 2010: A Delhi court reserves its order on a CBI plea
seeking to drop criminal proceedings against Quattrocchi.
Jan 3, 2011: An Income Tax tribunal rules that commission in
violation of Indian laws was indeed paid to Quattrochi and Chadha
in the gun deal that cost the national exchequer Rs.412.4 million
some 23 years ago.
March 4, 2011: A Delhi court allows the CBI to drop all charges
against Quattrochhi and to close the case.
April 24, 2012: Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom reveals he was
the Swedish Deep Throat, the key source of journalist Chitra
Subramaniam-Duella's source. He says no evidence of former Indian
prime minister Rajiv Gandhi or Amitabh Bachchan in the Bofors
pay-off scandal.
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