Bofors Case: India send judicial request to US seeking crucial information from private detective

India has sent a judicial request to the United States seeking information from private investigator Michael Hershman who had expressed willingness to share with Indian agencies crucial details about the Rs 64-crore Bofors bribery scandal of the 1980s. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent a Letter of Rogatory (LR) to the US Justice Department, seeking details regarding alleged kickbacks in the Bofors scandal. The letter, issued by a special court, was sent a few days ago as part of the agency’s efforts to gather new evidence in the decades-old case.

It should be noted here that a Letter Rogatory is a written request sent by the court of one country to the court of another country to obtain assistance in the investigation or prosecution of a criminal matter.

The CBI has specifically requested case details from Michael Hershman, the head of US-based private detective firm Fairfax, who had earlier claimed to have information about the alleged bribes paid by Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors to secure India’s 400 howitzer deal.