A crucial hearing in the politically sensitive Bofors payoff case will take place on Thursday in a Delhi court where CBI is expected to justify its controversial decision to take off the name of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the case, from its list of most wanted persons.
The investigating agency, at whose behest the Interpol's Red Corner Notice was withdrawn against Quattrocchi, will file a status report before Chief Meteropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja about its attempts to produce the foreign national before the court.
The hearing assumes importance as CBI, before taking the decision to withdraw the Red Corner Notice, has taken a stand that efforts were underway to catch the fugitive against whom the trial court had issued arrest warrant on November 07, 1999.
70-year-old Quattrocchi has not appeared before the court to face the trial of the case and charges could not be framed against him despite two chargesheets filed in the case.
The court had on February 10, 1997, issued letters to Malaysia and UAE seeking the arrest and extradition of Quattrocchi. The Delhi High Court had in May 1998 rejected Quattrocchi's plea for quashing of the Red Corner notice issued by the Interpol at the request of CBI in 1997.