A Delhi court on Thursday directed the CBI to release the documents related to the Bofors payoff scam seized by it in 1997 from Win Chadha, an accused in the case, to his son.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav directed the CBI to release the documents after the investigating agency submitted that it had no objection to releasing them. “The CBI is directed to release the documents from its headquarters,” Mr. Yadav said.
The CBI said there were four seizure memos, dated May 1, 1997, with regard to the documents and articles seized from the possession of Win Chadha, against whom criminal proceedings were abated after his death on October 24, 2001.
Win Chadha's son Hersh Washesher Chadha had filed the application, seeking the release of the documents on the grounds that there was no criminal proceeding pending against any accused after the court accepted the CBI's plea to withdraw the case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.
“It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this court may kindly be pleased to direct the CBI to release the documents/articles mentioned in the seizure memo dated May 1, 1997, to the applicant or the applicant's authorised representative,” Chadha's son said in the application filed on April 7.
“CBI officials seized a number of documents and articles from the office and residence of the late Washesher Nath Chadha [Win Chadha] by way of executing a number of seizure memos in which the particulars of the documents/articles are described. These documents/articles belong to late Chadha and his other family members, including the applicant, which have no concern with the case of the CBI,” he said.
