New Delhi: The CPI on Wednesday demanded a special
probe into the Bofors case at the earliest, saying the Income
Tax tribunal`s ruling had put the Congress leadership in the
dock once again.
"Bofors is the first big political corruption case that
rocked the country. The failure to find out and punish the
guilty caused immense harm, and much larger corruption is
continuing on gigantic scale," the party`s Central Secretariat
said in a statement while demanding special investigation into
Bofors case in an expeditious manner.
"This (closure of the case) should not have been allowed.
The case should be pursued," it said, adding that the exposure
of Bofors case put the Congress leadership "once again in the
dock".
Observing that the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal`s ruling
showed that Win Chaddha and Ottavio Quattrocchi had received
kickbacks and therefore directed to pay tax on it, the party
said, "Now it is the turn of the CBI to reply why they could
not unearth the truth, while the Income Tax tribunal could
find it out."
"The way the case was closed and the frozen bank accounts
of Quattrochi released raises many doubts. CPI raised
objections on this issue then also," it said, adding, while
Chaddha died, Quattrocchi was "allowed to go out from India
and his accounts were cleared, thus allowing the guilty to
escape from punishment".
In its ruling, the ITAT had said kickbacks of Rs 61 crore
were paid to late Chaddha and Italian businessman Quattrocchi
in the Howitzer gun deal and they are liable to pay tax in
India on such income.
However, pressing for closure of the case against
Quattrocchi, the CBI yesterday contended before a Delhi Court
that there was "nothing new" in the ITAT order that would
obstruct the withdrawal of the over two-decade-old criminal
proceedings.
PTI
