Curtains on 40-year-old Bofors scandal closed: Supreme Court dismisses final appeal against relief to Hinduja Brothers

August 7, 2026

The Supreme Court has dismissed the final appeal filed against the Delhi High Court’s 2005 verdict acquitting the Hinduja brothers. With this, the legal chapter of the Bofors scandal one of India’s most high-profile and long-running corruption cases has closed forever.

Supreme Court’s Verdict
A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Vinod K. Chandran dismissed the final petition in the case, rejecting the petitioner’s (Advocate Ajay K. Agrawal) request for an adjournment. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had also filed an appeal in this matter, which the Supreme Court had dismissed back in 2018 on the grounds of delay. The controversy surrounding this 1986 defense deal remained at the center of Indian politics and the judicial system for nearly four decades.

What is the full case and its history?
The entire matter stems from a ₹1,437 crore agreement signed on March 24, 1986, between the Government of India and the Swedish company AB Bofors for the procurement of 400 Howitzer guns for the Indian Army. In 1987, Swedish Radio made a sensational revelation that illegal commissions had been paid to Indian politicians and defense officials to secure the deal. This disclosure caused a massive political upheaval in India. Serious questions were raised against the Rajiv Gandhi government, and the issue was considered a major factor in the Congress party’s defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections.

CBI Investigation into the Case
The CBI registered an FIR in January 1990. Several individuals were named as accused, including the then-President of Bofors, Martin Ardbo, and alleged middleman Win Chadha. The scope of the investigation was later expanded, and the name of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi also surfaced. The names of the Hinduja brothers (Srichand, Gopichand, and Prakash Hinduja) were also included in the supplementary charge sheet filed in October 2000.

Delhi High Court’s 2005 Verdict
In its verdict delivered on May 31, 2005, the Delhi High Court quashed all criminal proceedings against the Hinduja brothers and the Swedish firm AB Bofors. Furthermore, while questioning the CBI’s handling of the case, the High Court noted that approximately ₹250 crore from the public exchequer had been spent on the investigation.

Supreme Court’s Observation
During the hearing, the Court expressed surprise at the prolonged nature of the case. When the petitioner’s counsel sought four weeks to remove the names of certain deceased respondents, Justice Pardiwala took a stern stance, asking, “What is going on regarding the Hinduja brothers and the CBI? All proceedings have been quashed; what is this? How many years have passed?” When the counsel reminded the Court that the deal took place in 1986, the Bench made it clear that there was no scope for further delay or hearings in the matter. With this final decision by the Supreme Court, all legal battles related to the Bofors pay-off case have now officially come to an end.