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CBI plans separate chargesheet against Solanki to expedite Bofors case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has decided to file a separate chargesheet against former external affairs minister Madhavsinh Solanki, delinking him from the other accused in the Rs 640 million Bofors payoff case, sources said on Sunday.

The decision has been taken in view of the fact that Solanki had no apparent role either in the negotiations of the Rs 14.36 billion Howitzer gun deal with A B Bofors of Sweden in 1985-86, its signing or in the receipt of payoffs.

Solanki has been accused of seeking to scuttle the Swiss government investigation in the case.

CBI sources said filing a separate chargesheet would facilitate speedy trial and early conclusion of the case against Solanki.

If the charges against Solanki are proved, it would bolster the CBI case against those accused of receiving the payoffs, the sources explained.

CBI sources, however, said they would not share the information in the case either with the income tax department or the Enforcement Directorate.

The two departments had sought details of the payoffs contained in the secret Swiss bank documents received by the CBI in January 1997 following a decade-long legal battle in Switzerland.

The departments require the details to proceed against the accused separately for alleged evasion of tax and violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.

The sources said the documents could not be used for any purpose other than the Bofors pay-off case in view of an undertaking given to the Swiss government before securing the papers. Sharing the information with the two departments would jeopardise the chances of getting the final set of bank documents relating to the payoffs, the sources pointed out.

The two chargesheets are almost ready and are expected to be filed this week.

All the five accused -- former Bofors agent Win Chadha, his late wife Kanta, his son Harsh and controversial Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi and his wife Maria --- would figure as accused in the chargesheet.

Besides, former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar would also be named as accused.

UNI

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