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CBI gets more time to question Hindujas

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The Central Bureau of Investigation special court Monday gave the CBI time till January 30 to complete its interrogation of the Hinduja brothers in the Bofors payoffs case.

On Friday, the court had permitted the CBI to question the three brothers for three days, but on Monday the agency moved the court for more time, since its officers have questioned only Srichand and that too was incomplete. Without more time, the agency said it would not be able to complete the interrogation.

The counsel for the Hinduja brothers requested the court to allow at least one of them - whose interrogation ends -- to travel abroad for business, to which Judge Ajit Bharihoke said, "If anyone wants to travel abroad, they may move a separate application before court."

Earlier, Hinduja Group chairman S P Hinduja was interrogated for the third time by CBI sleuths in the morning. He will be interrogated again on Tuesday.

CBI sources told UNI that SP, who was questioned by the CBI for nearly nine hours spread over two days, reported at the agency's office at 1130 hours IST.

The agency presented a status report to Bharihoke at 1400 hours Monday regarding the progress of the interrogation.

According to the CBI, the three brothers allegedly received 81 million Swedish kroner into their secret Swiss accounts from Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors to secure the 155 mm Howitzer gun deal for it in 1986. The Hindujas, however, have denied that the amount was in the nature of payoffs.

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