I-T Tribunal order on Bofors payoff case, BJP targets Sonia Gandhi

Soon after the I-T tribunal ruling, the BJP trained its guns on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. It demanded a special investigation team (SIT) to look afresh at the whole issue.

“The CBI had, while closing the case, said that no bribe was given in the Bofors case whereas the judgment of the revenue arm of the government has stated to the contrary,” said senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley. “This is not a case of bribery alone...It was a colossal fraud,” he said, wondering how CBI had not indicted Chadha and Quattrocchi while the I-T tribunal had found the former guilty.

He demanded the case be reopened. “Hand it over to a SIT as CBI can no more be entrusted with this,” he said. 

Jaitley also hit out at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and questioned the justification of a five-point plan to fight corruption. “Ironically for her, this is a timely reminder that country does not need a five-point programme. It needs a one-point programme: send those guilty to jail and do not resort to cover-up operations,” he stated.

On the defensive, the Congress said: “This has nothing to do either with the Congress or with late Rajiv Gandhi. I-T matters are a purely personal affair, and it is for the legal heirs of Win Chadha to respond,” said party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The party also drew a line between the standards of evidence required for a criminal prosecution and a revenue recovery case. “It may appear a purely technical matter, but in law it makes a big difference. The CBI may not have found that the evidence is good enough for criminal prosecution. However, on the basis of the same evidence, the I-T tribunal can come to a conclusion that the matter can be proceeded with,” said a Congress leader.