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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bofors scandal | 3/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors_scandal | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T14:10:59.444926+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Middlemen in Indian arms deals == Middlemen were employed in arms deals in India, both during the British Raj as well as in independent India, and commissions were paid to them under various headings and guises. Some of these were paid as personal bribes while others were paid as contributions to political parties. This led to high levels of corruption, and payments being made to politicians, bureaucrats and defence personnel to influence decisions. The political controversies caused by the Bofors Scandal, led to the banning of middlemen in arms deals. In 2015, the Government of India under the Narendra Modi government made the use of middlemen in arms deals legal, if they called themselves "company representatives". The then defence minister Manohar Parrikar announced that in such cases, middlemen would be paid by the government for fixing arms deals under the name of "legal fees".
== Allegations against CBI == A former cabinet minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Arun Jaitley, criticised the manner in which CBI has handled this case, including:
Delay in lodging an FIR Delay in sending letter rogatories Not appealing against the judgement of the Delhi High Court in 2004 De-freezing of Quattrocchi's bank account in London by saying to the Crown Prosecutor that there is no case against Quattrocchi Putting up a very weak case for Quattrocchi's extradition from Argentina. Subsequently, no appeal against lower court's verdict The withdrawal of the Interpol Red Corner notice Finally, withdrawal of its case against Quattrocchi. Reacting to this, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav said that, "I agree that there are certain malafide intentions in the case and there is no doubt in that"
== Closure == The closure of Bofors case was full of twists and turns. In 2004, Delhi High Court posthumously gave clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi and said that there was no case of corruption against him or any public servant. This judgement stunned CBI as it had pursued the case for 14 years and was a setback to NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well. However, CBI said that it would contest the judgement in Supreme Court. In 2011, a Delhi court allowed CBI to close the case. Thereafter in 2012, Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom, who led the investigations and identified himself as the whistleblower, said that Rajiv Gandhi had done nothing wrong and also cleared Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and his family from any involvement in the scandal. Instead, he accused Swedish government of diverting funds marked for development projects to secure the deal by flouting the rules and bypassing the institutions.
== See also == H. R. Bhardwaj Justice Ajit Bharihoke, the special CBI court judge in whose court the case was argued. Corruption in India 1992 Indian stock market scam NSE co-location scam Corruption Perceptions Index List of scandals in India Jan Lokpal Bill Jeep scandal case 1948 Indian made K9 Vajra Howitzer Experiences Technical Issues
== References ==
== Further reading == Arun Shourie (1992). These lethal, inexorable laws: Rajiv, his men and his regime. Delhi: South Asia Books. ISBN 978-0836427554
== External links == Indian Express article on CBI's handling of the Bofors scam under NDA and UPA Bofors resurrects, gives more ammo to BJP Death Of A Scandal – Bofors, India's Watergate Lecture by an IMF aid projects manager about government bribery