New Delhi, Mar 7: The much-awaited report
of the sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee on the Bofors gun deal
scam is all set to be ready for presentation in Parliament, according to
informed sources.
"The report is at the drafting stage,"
the sources told, adding the panel headed by Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari
Mahtab has taken "critical note" of how the Central Bureau of
Investigation had adopted stonewalling tactics since 2005 especially on whether
the probe agency should challenge the Delhi High Court verdict which had
effectively closed the case.
The High Court had ruled closure of the case in 2005 but in 2017 after the panel had taken note of "certain developments" related to the matter and summoning of CBI chief Alok Verma which had helped bring out the "lapses" and "dilly-dallying" strategies adopted by the probe agency.
In 2017, the CBI had told the PAC sub-committee that it has informed the Supreme Court of its willingness to continue a probe.
"It was often found that the CBI did not know how to respond on why they did not take any decision on challenging the Delhi High Court verdict. Once, they said, the political leadership did not allow. Well, this could be true for United Progressive Alliance.
'But it was rather surprising to suggest that the Modi government did not allow to move the Supreme Court. We are in power since past three years now," a BJP Member of Parliament told.
Sources said, in fact, it came to light that "there was official confirmation on the fact that money changed hands" and an "agent" of Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors, Win Chadha and his company got a cut.
It may be mentioned that Chadha's company was alleged to be one of the primary figures in the Rs 640 million Bofors scandal.
Chadha, who had died of a cardiac arrest on October 24, 2001, was charge sheeted with receiving some of the kickbacks in the Rs 14.37 billion deal signed in March 1986 by Rajiv Gandhi government for the supply of 410 155mm Howitzer field guns to India.
"It has been proved that money changed hands. As late as 2010, it came to light that Win Chadha's company was in receipt of money. The Income Tax Tribunal had ordered in 2010 that the company needs to pay up taxes for the income. That income may be consultation fees or commission, but it was confirmed beyond doubt that money changed hands," the sources added.
The PAC sub-committee, which looked "into the non-compliance" of certain aspects of a 1986 Comptroller and Auditor General of India report on the Bofors Howitzer gun deal, had among other members Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Nishikant Dubey.
Mr Dubey had, in the past, insisted that there were "evidences" which supported CBI moving ahead in the case and filing of a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.
"The other matters related to the controversial gun deal came to light in 2014 when Delhi High Court rejected former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki's plea to quash an FIR against him. That case is on in Tis Hazari court," the sources said. The allusion was to Solanki (during the Prime Ministership of P V Narasimha Rao) who allegedly had "handed over" to his Swiss counterpart, Rene Felber, letters suggesting that the Bofors probe in that country be 'scuttled'.
In 2013, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had denied any knowledge of such letters.
By July-August 2017, some ruling BJP leaders were "surprised" at the response of the Defence Ministry under Narendra Modi government when it had requested the PAC sub-committee to "delete" controversial paragraphs related to Bofors howitzer gun deal.
The official response of the Defence Ministry in a 13 July (2017) letter had said as the files related to Bofors cannot be traced, the eight paras related to objections raised by the CAG and subsequently by the PAC sub-committee on non-compliance of the CAG report be "deleted".
Believing that such responses need not have "political endorsement" of the Modi government, a couple of BJP MPs also had met the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
Similarly, in a May 5, 2017 communique, the Defence Ministry had informed the panel that "it is not possible to initiate Action Taken Reports" vis-a-vis the CAG reports -- otherwise pending since 1990s.
The six-member sub committee, headed by Bhartruhari Mahtab and comprising among others Gajanan Kirtikar (Shiv Sena), P Venugopal (AIADMK) and Ajay Sancheti and Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi (both BJP), had, however, rejected the Defence Ministry's request. UNI
The High Court had ruled closure of the case in 2005 but in 2017 after the panel had taken note of "certain developments" related to the matter and summoning of CBI chief Alok Verma which had helped bring out the "lapses" and "dilly-dallying" strategies adopted by the probe agency.
In 2017, the CBI had told the PAC sub-committee that it has informed the Supreme Court of its willingness to continue a probe.
"It was often found that the CBI did not know how to respond on why they did not take any decision on challenging the Delhi High Court verdict. Once, they said, the political leadership did not allow. Well, this could be true for United Progressive Alliance.
'But it was rather surprising to suggest that the Modi government did not allow to move the Supreme Court. We are in power since past three years now," a BJP Member of Parliament told.
Sources said, in fact, it came to light that "there was official confirmation on the fact that money changed hands" and an "agent" of Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors, Win Chadha and his company got a cut.
It may be mentioned that Chadha's company was alleged to be one of the primary figures in the Rs 640 million Bofors scandal.
Chadha, who had died of a cardiac arrest on October 24, 2001, was charge sheeted with receiving some of the kickbacks in the Rs 14.37 billion deal signed in March 1986 by Rajiv Gandhi government for the supply of 410 155mm Howitzer field guns to India.
"It has been proved that money changed hands. As late as 2010, it came to light that Win Chadha's company was in receipt of money. The Income Tax Tribunal had ordered in 2010 that the company needs to pay up taxes for the income. That income may be consultation fees or commission, but it was confirmed beyond doubt that money changed hands," the sources added.
The PAC sub-committee, which looked "into the non-compliance" of certain aspects of a 1986 Comptroller and Auditor General of India report on the Bofors Howitzer gun deal, had among other members Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Nishikant Dubey.
Mr Dubey had, in the past, insisted that there were "evidences" which supported CBI moving ahead in the case and filing of a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.
"The other matters related to the controversial gun deal came to light in 2014 when Delhi High Court rejected former External Affairs Minister Madhavsinh Solanki's plea to quash an FIR against him. That case is on in Tis Hazari court," the sources said. The allusion was to Solanki (during the Prime Ministership of P V Narasimha Rao) who allegedly had "handed over" to his Swiss counterpart, Rene Felber, letters suggesting that the Bofors probe in that country be 'scuttled'.
In 2013, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had denied any knowledge of such letters.
By July-August 2017, some ruling BJP leaders were "surprised" at the response of the Defence Ministry under Narendra Modi government when it had requested the PAC sub-committee to "delete" controversial paragraphs related to Bofors howitzer gun deal.
The official response of the Defence Ministry in a 13 July (2017) letter had said as the files related to Bofors cannot be traced, the eight paras related to objections raised by the CAG and subsequently by the PAC sub-committee on non-compliance of the CAG report be "deleted".
Believing that such responses need not have "political endorsement" of the Modi government, a couple of BJP MPs also had met the then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
Similarly, in a May 5, 2017 communique, the Defence Ministry had informed the panel that "it is not possible to initiate Action Taken Reports" vis-a-vis the CAG reports -- otherwise pending since 1990s.
The six-member sub committee, headed by Bhartruhari Mahtab and comprising among others Gajanan Kirtikar (Shiv Sena), P Venugopal (AIADMK) and Ajay Sancheti and Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi (both BJP), had, however, rejected the Defence Ministry's request. UNI
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