The Communist Party of India has demanded a special investigation into the Bofors gun deal at the earliest, arguing that the case that was buried deep by the Congress-led government has sprung up again through the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal's ruling.
The tribunal ordered that the late Win Chadha and Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi pay tax on the commissions they had received in the deal. “Now, it is the turn of the CBI to reply why they could not unearth the truth, while the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal could find it out,” the party's Central Secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday.
The party said the manner in which the case was closed and Mr. Quattrocchi's frozen bank accounts were released raised many doubts.
Win Chaddha died and Mr. Quattrocchi was allowed to leave India and the freeze on his accounts was lifted. Thus, the guilty was allowed to go scot-free. This should not have been allowed to happen. The case should be pursued.
“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 corruption is continuing on a gigantic scale,” the statement said.
