Senior Hinduja’s questioning over

Senior Hinduja’s questioning over
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, JAN 23: The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today completed the interrogation of the eldest of the three Hinduja brothers, S P Hinduja, lasting four days, in connection with his alleged role in the Bofors payoff case but said if required he would be called for further interrogation.

CBI spokesman said the agency would question Geneva-based P P Hinduja tomorrow and after completing his questioning they would interrogate G P Hinduja.

The Hinduja group Chairman S P Hinduja, who had been questioned everyday from Saturday afternoon, was interrogated for over three hours by the Special Investigation Group at the agency headquarters here.

The agency was investigating the payments received by the Hinduja Group from A B Bofors immediately after the Rs 1,437 crore contract for supply of 400 Howitzer Guns was signed between Indian Government and Swedish firm in 1986.

Hindujas have all along maintained that they were innocent and were falsely implicated in the case saying the money received by them from AB Bofors was not linked to the gun deal.

Asked whether Srichand Hinduja could move an application before the court to leave the country as his interrogation has been completed, the spokesman, S M Khan, said, ‘‘We would answer this question in the court but if certain issues figure during interrogation of the other brothers, We will have to summon him (Srichand) again.’’

To a question whether the Hindujas were co-operating with the investigating agency, the CBI Spokesman said, ‘‘They are replying to all questions.’’

The Central Bureau of Investigations has asked the Hindujas to prove that the money received from A B Bofors in their secret account was not related to the gun deal between the Swedish Company and the Indian Government.

The hopes of the three Hinduja brothers for an early exit from India were dashed yesterday after a designated court today allowed the CBI to interrogate them till January 30 in connection with their alleged role in the Rs 64-crore Bofors pay-off case.

Emerging out of the CBI headquarters after interrogation, Hinduja Group chairman said, ‘‘we have offered all our co-operation to the CBI and we believe that the CBI would come out with truth.’’

Hinduja said he believed in the ‘‘supermacy of truth’’ and added ‘‘at the end, everything will be crystal clear.’’

However, he declined to reply to a question whether he would be moving an application before the court for leaving the country.

‘‘I will not reply to this question, but yes, we will bring out the truth and leave the decision on the Government,’’ he said.

Counsel for Hindujas, Arvind Nigam, had said yesterday if the questioning of any of the Hinduja brothers was completed before January 30, he may be permitted to go out of the country.

The special Judge Ajit Bharioke had yesterday told the Hinduja brothers that ‘‘You are free to move an application in this regard anytime.’’

The CBI has accused the Hinduja brothers of receiving 81 million Swedish Kroners as kickbacks from Bofors in the gun deal The three Hinduja brothers are appearing before the CBI pursuant to a designated court’s direction on Saturday last asking them to be available before the investigating agency for questioning in the Bofors payoff case.