The Bofors scam played a crucial role in the defeat of Rajiv Gandhi in the 1989 general elections. The controversy surrounding the alleged kickbacks in the howitzer deal with Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors became one of India’s most talked-about political scandals.
India has sent a judicial request to the United States seeking information from private investigator Michael Hershman who had expressed willingness to share with Indian agencies crucial details about the Rs 64-crore Bofors bribery scandal of the 1980s. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent a Letter of Rogatory (LR) to the US Justice Department, seeking details regarding alleged kickbacks in the Bofors scandal. The letter, issued by a special court, was sent a few days ago as part of the agency’s efforts to gather new evidence in the decades-old case.
It should be noted here that a Letter Rogatory is a written request sent by the court of one country to the court of another country to obtain assistance in the investigation or prosecution of a criminal matter.
The CBI has specifically requested case details from Michael Hershman, the head of US-based private detective firm Fairfax, who had earlier claimed to have information about the alleged bribes paid by Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors to secure India’s 400 howitzer deal.
What did Hershman reveal in 2017?
In 2017, Hershman had alleged that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was “furious” upon discovering a Swiss bank account, ‘Mont Blanc,’ where the bribe money was reportedly deposited. He also claimed that the government at the time had sabotaged his investigation into the scandal. The CBI had previously sent letters and reminders to US authorities on November 8, 2023, December 21, 2023, May 13, 2024, and August 14, 2024, but received no information, with the US authorities requesting additional time.
The CBI then approached a Delhi court in October 2024, informing it of its plan to seek assistance from US authorities. The move was prompted after Hershman, who gained political prominence due to his involvement in the Bofors case, expressed willingness to cooperate with Indian investigators.
CBI filed a case in 1990
The CBI had registered the case in 1990, three years after a Swedish radio channel had alleged that bribes were paid by Bofors to politicians and defence officials of India to clinch the deal. The allegations created a big scandal for the Rajiv Gandhi Government and have been used by rival parties to target the Congress.
The CBI filed the chargesheets in 1999 and 2000. The Delhi High Court had exonerated Rajiv Gandhi in 2004, nearly 13 years after he was assassinated by LTTE in a suicide attack. In 2005, the High Court quashed all charges against the remaining accused, noting that the CBI failed to prove that the money transferred by Bofors to various agents by Quattrocchi was meant to be paid as a bribe to public servants in India.
