The Supreme Court is likely to hear the Bofors case on Friday
The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Friday the politically sensitive Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case in which the CBI earlier this year filed an appeal after a 12-year delay against the Delhi High Court decision quashing charges against all the accused.
The top court will also hear a BJP leader and advocate Ajay Agrawal, who is pursuing the matter for over a decade, and has been asked by it to explain why he is filing a petition as a third party.
Mr Agrawal, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli against the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has filed an appeal against the May 31, 2005 judgement of the Delhi High Court.
The matter has been listed for hearing on October 12 before a bench comprising Justice R Banumathi and Justice Indira Banerjee.
Before the 2005 verdict of Justice RS Sodhi (since retired), another judge of the Delhi High Court, retired Justice JD Kapoor, had on February 4, 2004, exonerated the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the case and directed framing of charge of forgery against the Bofors company.
The Rs 1,437 crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155 mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.
Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, had claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel. The CBI on January 22, 1990 registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.