Bofors Scam: Delhi’s Tis Hazari Court to Hear CBI Plea on 7 April

The CBI has challenged the 2005 order of the Delhi HC that quashed all charges against the accused.

File photo of the Supreme Court. 

(Photo: The Quint)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 2 February filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging a 2005 order of the Delhi High Court quashing all charges against the accused in the politically sensitive Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case.

The agency filed the appeal against the HC decision by which all the accused, including Europe-based industrialists Hinduja brothers, were discharged from the case.

Initially, the hearing was supposed to take place on 17 February, but now Delhi's Tis Hazari court will hear the CBI's fresh application to further investigate the case on 7 April.

The CBI said certain new material has surfaced that needs further probe.

The filing of the appeal assumes significance as recently Attorney General KK Venugopal had advised against going for the petition after 12 years of delay.

However, sources said that the law officers, after consultation, were in favour of the appeal as the CBI placed some important documents and evidence to challenge the high court order.

On 31 January, Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Aggarwal filed a petition in the apex court seeking Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra’s recusal from the Bofors case, on the grounds that he acted in a biased manner on 16 January and allowed former law minister Kapil Sibal to intervene without any authority, despite repeated objections.

(With inputs from PTI.)