March 5, 2025: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has officially sought assistance from the United States in the long-standing Rs. 64 crore Bofors bribery case. In February 2025, the agency sent a Letter of Rogatory (LR) requesting information from private investigator Michael Hershman, who had earlier alleged that the probe into the case was deliberately derailed by the then Congress government.

Hershman, the head of the US-based Fairfax Group, had visited India in 2017 and claimed that he was appointed by India's Finance Ministry in 1986 to investigate money laundering and currency control violations, some of which were linked to the Bofors deal. He had also expressed his willingness to share information with Indian authorities. However, when the CBI sought records of his engagement, the Finance Ministry responded that no such documents were available due to the case's age.

The agency had previously made multiple requests to US authorities in 2023 and 2024 and had also approached Interpol for assistance, but no response was received. Following approval from the Home Ministry in January 2025 and clearance from a special court in February, the CBI formally sent the LR to the US.

The Bofors case, dating back to 1986-87, revolves around allegations that Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors paid bribes to Indian politicians and defence officials to secure a contract for 400 Howitzer field guns. The scandal became a major political controversy, impacting the Rajiv Gandhi-led government.

The CBI first registered the case in 1990, three years after a Swedish radio station reported the bribery allegations. Though chargesheets were filed in 1999 and 2000, the Delhi High Court dismissed all charges in 2005, citing a lack of evidence. The agency challenged the decision in 2018, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal due to procedural delays. However, the CBI was allowed to present its case in an existing appeal filed in 2005 by advocate Ajay Aggarwal.

With the latest judicial request to the US, the CBI appears determined to revive the case and uncover any remaining evidence in one of India’s most high-profile defence scandals.