New Delhi, March 26
The Delhi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) today framed fresh charges against three Europe-based Hinduja brothers in the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case after quashing of the corruption charges by the Delhi High Court recently.
CMM Reema Singh Nag framed the charges under Section 420 (cheating) read with 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand — and Section 465 (forgery) against Swedish arms manufacturing company, AB Bofors, as per the High Court order.
The CMM said the trial in the case for these offences against the accused would commence from May 12.
The high court, while partially allowing a petition of Hinduja brothers, had quashed the charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) against them, holding that the CBI had failed to place on record any evidence regarding the payment of bribe to any public servant.
Thus, the high court had given a clean chit to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then Defence Secretary S K Bhatnagar.
While Rajiv Gandhi’s name was placed by the CBI in the second column of the chargesheet as an accused not sent for trial, Bhatnagar had died during the pendency of the case.
Since the corruption charges had been quashed by the high court, it had ordered the transfer of the case to the court of the CMM from the Special Judge holding trial under the PCA.
