Bofors case: plea to oppose move to close case against `Q`

New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) Ahead of the crucial hearing in
a Delhi court against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi
in Bofors gun deal payoff case, an application was Thursday
filed opposing the move by Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) to close the case against him.

The hearing before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
on October 3 assumes significance as the Indian government had
on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it has decided to
withdraw the case against Quattrocchi and CBI is to move an
application in this regard.

Advocate Ajay Agrawal, who has been pursuing the
Bofors case in the Supreme Court, filed the application
seeking rejection of any such move by the investigating agency
alleging the Centre has been trying to bail out the
69-year-old Italian businessman against whom "there is ample
evidence for his prosecution".

The advocate referred to a case of 1984 anti-Sikh
riots in which a trial court had in 2007 rejected a closure
report against former union minister Jagdish Tytler and
directed CBI to re-investigate his alleged role.

Agrawal had filed an appeal in the apex court against
the Delhi High Court's May 31, 2005, decision to quash charges
against all other accused in the case after CBI failed to
challenge it within the mandatory 90-day period. MORE PTI