Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Supreme Court Dismisses Final Appeal in Bofors Bribery Case
A very long time ago, in 1986, India bought big guns called howitzers from a Swedish company named Bofors.
The deal cost 1,437 crore rupees.
The next year, Swedish Radio said that secret payments had been made to Indian politicians and defence officials.
This became one of India's biggest political scandals.
Courts looked into the case for almost forty years.
In 2005, a court in Delhi said the accused people could not be charged anymore.
One person still wanted the case to continue, so he asked the Supreme Court of India to hear it.
The Supreme Court judges said the case had already been closed by earlier court decisions.
They also said the matter could not be delayed any longer.
Now, with this final decision, the Bofors case is completely over.
The Supreme Court dismissed the last pending appeal in the Bofors bribery case, formally ending all judicial proceedings in the nearly four-decade-old scandal.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran refused to entertain advocate Ajay K Agrawal's appeal against the 2005 Delhi High Court verdict.
The Delhi High Court had quashed all charges against the Hinduja brothers and Swedish arms maker AB Bofors on May 31, 2005, citing deficiencies in the CBI's evidence.
The bench declined a request for more time to remove the names of deceased accused Srichand P Hinduja and Gopichand P Hinduja from the petition.
The case stemmed from the Rs 1,437-crore 1986 deal for 400 howitzers; in 1987 Swedish Radio alleged illegal commissions were paid to Indian politicians and defence officials.
- Who
- Advocate Ajay K Agrawal filed the final appeal against the Hinduja brothers and AB Bofors; a Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran dismissed it.
- What
- The final appeal in the Bofors bribery case was dismissed, formally concluding all judicial proceedings in the scandal.
- When
- The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal this week (reported as Thursday in one article and Friday in another); the controversy began with the 1986 Bofors deal and 1987 Swedish Radio allegations.
- Where
- India — decided by the Supreme Court, following the Delhi High Court verdict of May 31, 2005.
- Why
- The court found no justification to continue the case because the Delhi High Court had quashed the proceedings and the CBI's appeal had already been dismissed.
- Case
- Bofors bribery case
- Final ruling
- Supreme Court dismissed the last appeal; all proceedings concluded
- Appeal filed by
- Advocate Ajay K Agrawal
- Original deal
- Rs 1,437-crore purchase of 400 howitzers signed March 24, 1986
- Allegations
- Swedish Radio alleged illegal commissions to Indian politicians and defence officials in 1987
- Delhi High Court verdict
- Charges quashed on May 31, 2005 against Hinduja brothers and AB Bofors
- CBI appeal
- Dismissed by Supreme Court in November 2018 over 4,522-day delay
- CBI investigation cost
- Reportedly around Rs 250 crore
