Search the Internet          Tips

Hinduja brothers clarify points with CBI

With the cross-examination of the three London-settled industrialists -- Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand Hinduja - Monday, the first phase of interrogation which started on January 20 has concluded.

The agency is to inform designated CBI judge Ajit Bharihoke on the progress of the interrogation Tuesday.

The judge had on January 22, while extending the interrogation period till the afternoon of December 30, directed the premier investigating agency to submit a report in the court on the expiry of the deadline.

CBI officials were non-committal about the submission of the agency before the court Tuesday and also whether the bureau would submit its report. ''We will place our stand (whatever it is) before the court on Tuesday,'' they told UNI.

The cross-examination of the Hindujas began around 1130 hours and continued for about two-and-a-half hours.

Coming out of the agency headquarters, the Hinduja brothers told reporters, ''We answered whatever they (investigators) asked us.''

On why the agency did not utilise another day for interrogating the brothers, CBI officials said, ''Presently, their questioning is complete. If we feel the need, we may call them again.''

The Hindujas are alleged to have received a large chunk of the Rs 640 million kickbacks in the Rs 14.37 billion gun deal when the late Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister.

Srichand was grilled by agency sleuths for 17 hours spread over six days. He was the first to be called on January 20 after the brothers surrendered before the court on January 19. The interrogation of the eldest of the Hindujas was carried out on January 21, 22, 23, 25 and 28.

Prakashchand was questioned for six-and-a-half hours on January 24 and 25, while Gopichand was examined for five-and-a-half hours on January 27 and 28.

The CBI is scheduled to submit the status report on progress of the investigation in court on Tuesday.

The court had on January 19 directed the Hinduja brothers not to leave India without its permission and make themselves available to the CBI for further interrogation and investigation.

The Hindujas appeared before the court after the CBI, in accordance with the court directive, cancelled the look-out notice against them at various airports in the country.

The CBI had issued the notice charging the brothers with not co-operating with it since March, 1999, when secret documents arrived from Switzerland, revealing that money was transferred to the bank accounts of the three brothers by Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors, which allegedly paid Rs 640 million as kickbacks to secure an Indian Government order for its howitzer guns.

The three brothers were summoned by the trial court on December 12, 2000 after the agency chargesheeted them on October 9, 2000, alleging that they received 81 million Swedish kroners from AB Bofors for the 1986 gun deal.

The British passport holders have been chargesheeted under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Hindujas have been pleading that they had been falsely implicated in the case by the CBI. The money paid to them by Bofors had nothing to do with the Rs 14.37 billion gun deal, their counsel had earlier argued.

The other accused in the case include Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi, former Bofors agent Win Chadha, former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, former Bofors chief Martin Ardbo and the Bofors company.

Rajiv Gandhi, during whose tenure the 155 mm gun deal was signed, was named in the first chargesheet as ''accused not sent up for trial''.

UNI

The Complete Coverage: The Smoking Gun

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report