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Bofors case: CIC takes serious note of Govt withholding info

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has taken serious note of the Government withholding information on the expenses incurred in the investigation of the Bofors pay off case.

The CIC has directed CBI to furnish details within 15 days to a Cuttack-based advocate Kedar Nath Jena, who had moved an RTI application seeking this information from the Home Ministry.

This also included costs incurred on the prosecution and extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the two-decade-old case.

"We must take adverse notice of the entire processing of this case, which was admittedly received in the Ministry on February six, last year, but has yet not been responded to with a complete reply, even though information is held by the government," Central Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said in an order delivered on Wednesday.

The Home Ministry was directed to inquire into the reasons for delaying with the application of the advocate and sought its report within 20 days by identifying the persons responsible for failing to discharge their duty.

Six months after Jena's RTI application, he received a response in July last from the MHA stating that his request had been forwarded for necessary action to the Department of Personnel and training (DoPT).

The DoPT, however, referred the application back to the MHA on procedural grounds.

Bofors case: CIC takes serious note of Govt withholding info-India-The Times of India