On The Bofors Case

Date: 
Saturday, October 23, 1999

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

On the Bofors Case

The CPI(M) has always maintained that the Bofors gun scandal which involved payment of kickbacks must be thoroughly investigated and all those guilty must be prosecuted. More than a decade after the FIR was filed, a chargesheet has been filed against some of the accused in the case. The fact that it took so long to initiate prosecution in court shows the powerful pressures have worked to cover up the scandal. The present chargesheet was processed at the time of the United Front government when the first set of Bofors papers were received from Switzerland by the CBI.

However, it must be noted that the chargesheet has been filed before the final set of Bofors papers have been received from the Swiss authorities. Everyone knows that the big business house of Hindujas, who are close to present regime, has tried everything to block the release of the papers to India. The CBI should pursue the case against the Hindujas and others involved without any delay free from any pressures. Only when all the culprits responsible for the scandal, however powerful, are brought to book can justice be seen to be done.