Quattrocchi case: CBI counsel questioned

An advocate on Thursday questioned the authenticity of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel who moved an application before a city court to withdraw the case against Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi, and said two government lawyers had defended one of the accused in the case.

An advocate on Thursday questioned the authenticity of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel who moved an application before a city court to withdraw the case against Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi, and said two government lawyers had defended one of the accused in the case.

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Ajay Agarwal, the advocate who filed his written submissions in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja, alleged that Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramanium and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) PP Malhotra, who are representing the CBI now, had earlier appeared for Win Chaddha, one of the accused.

"The propriety and professional ethics demand that these counsel who are holding the high offices such as SG and ASG should have refused accepting the brief of the centre and the CBI in this Bofors gun deal scam case, once they had appeared for the accused persons," he submitted.

The court will hear his application Saturday when it is expected to deliver its order on the locus standi of Agarwal in the case.

The CBI on Oct 3 sought withdrawal of the case against Quattrocchi saying it had arrived at the conclusion after its failure on two occasions to get the Italian businessman extradited from Malaysia and Argentina to face trial in India.

It was claimed by CBI that the plea to withdraw the case was filed in "good faith and in public interest".

Quattrocchi is the sole surviving accused in the case after the Delhi High Court quashed charges against other accused on May 31, 2005.