New Delhi: The Bofors kickbacks scam may
have been in news for over two decades now but it does not
find a mention in the wall of CBI`s newly set-up museum where
information on crucial cases handled by the premier
investigation agency are on display.
The CBI has exhibited highlights of 14 prominent cases
in its museum section `In the Service of Nation` right from
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay murder of 1968 to Satyam scam of
1999, but there is no mention of the Bofors case which rocked
Indian polity in 1989 and has haunted Congress and Rajiv
Gandhi`s family since.
"Work is still in progress and more things, articles and
displays will be added in due course," CBI spokesperson
Dharini Mishra said when asked why the case was given a miss.
The 21-year old case relates to kickbacks received from
powder manufacturer AB Bofors for winning a bid to supply
India`s 155 mm field howitzer, in which the then Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi
among several other industrialists were initially made accused
by the agency. The charges of bribery against Gandhi were
later quashed by Delhi High Court.
The museum wall also mentions fodder scam in which the
then Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav is an accused
besides Telgi Stamp scam, IC-814 hijacking case, Babri Masjid
demolition case, Bombay blasts case, Bhopal Gas leak case
among others.
The museum, which is located in the new headquarters`
building of the agency, has dedicated three big display boards
showcasing the highlights of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi`s assassination case.
The case which was taken by CBI on May 23, 1991 was
probed by the Special Investigation Team of the agency led by
DR Karthikeyan saw conviction of all the 26 accused.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the new
Headquarter building today and went straight to see the
museum.
The museum, located on the sixth floor of the 11-storey
new structure of concrete and glass, has some rare statues and
snaps of items like sword of Tipu Sultan, paintings of Raja
Ravi Verma, which were stolen and later recovered by the CBI.
PTI
