Rahul Gandhi has called Rafale deal as BJP's Bofors.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on has dismissed a Central Bureau of Investigation petition challenging a 2005 High Court verdict in the Bofors case. The bench dismissed the appeal as it was “time-barred”. The CBI, which is the prosecuting agency in the case, failed to file an appeal before the apex court within the stipulated 90 days’ time period after the Delhi High Court's 2005 judgment in which it had discharged Hinduja brothers in the Bofors payoff case.

Later, the CBI filed an appeal against this 2005 Delhi High Court verdict in the Supreme Court. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that Rafale deal is BJP's Bofors and said that PM Modi will not survive the Rafale deal enquiry.

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The Indian Army and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors entered into an agreement for Rs 1,437-crore deal for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns on March 24, 1986. Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, had claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel to secure the deal.

The CBI on January 22, 1990, had registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It had alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating, and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Bofors company. A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers on October 9, 2000.