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SC allows Hindujas to stay abroad
Our Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 13
The Supreme Court today gave a major relief to Europe-based Hinduja brothers in the Bofors payoff case by allowing them to stay abroad till the disposal of the trial by a Special Court here.

A Bench, comprising Mr Justice S Rajendera Babu and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur, said that the arrangement of allowing the Hinduja brothers’ stay abroad as made by this court earlier an interim order, would continue till the disposal of the case by the trial court.

The court, in the interim order passed earlier, had, however, said that the accused, had to appear before the trial court whenever their presence was required by it.

The court also made it clear that any observation made by the apex court in its various orders would not in any way influence the trial proceedings.

The court had earlier modified its order asking one of the three brothers to stay back in India till the trial was over and allowed them to go abroad together.

The brothers - Gopichand, Srichand and Prakashchand — had been accused by the CBI of receiving about Rs 12 crore of the Rs 64-crore payoff in the Bofors gun deal.