NEW DELHI: K. Madhavan, the Joint Director of Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) and the key man in the Bofors probe has been taken off the case. The CBI director, Vijay Karan, formally conveyed the decision to him last week, according to official sources.

The CBI spokesman described the development as a routine affair. According to him, Madhavan, who was promoted to the rank of Joint director a few months ago?

“Was overburdened with the Bofor cease” and because of it could not be allocated other responsibilities. M.D Sharma, another Joint Director, was also looking after Bofors case along with Madhavan, The latter has now been designated as joint director (economic offences) and as such there was no need for two senior person the same job, the spokesman said, adding that Sharma will continue to supervise investigations in that Bofors case.

But for how long will Sharma remain on the Bofors case? For, according to informed sources, he had recently requested Karan to send him back to Madhya Pradesh, from where he came on deputation five years ago, as he was getting a promotion there as additional director general of police, Karan has still not taken any decision i this regard, but then Sharma term in CBI is expiring next month that the FIR in the case was filed over a year ago.

However, it is Madhavans abrupt exit from the Bofors case that has raised most of the eye brows. Known for his cast-iron perseverance in the Bofors investigations he was involved in it from the day the FIR was filed in the case, During the time the first letter  rotatory to Switzerland was issued by a special judge, in January 1990, Madhavan could be seen attending all the hearings before him in the Tis Hazari court. There recently concluded marathon hearings in the Supreme Court which delved into the validity of the Bofors FIR, were also attended regularly by Madhavan, He was the first visit Switzerland, along with the then CBI Director Rajendra Shekhar to unearth the names of payoff beneficiaries.

In December last, Madhavan had incurred the wrath of former Union Minister Subrahmaniam Swamy form a king an uncalled for remark before Justice M.K.Chawla, in the Delhi high court. He had stood up to oppose the stand taken by Additional Solicitor General K.T.S. Tulsi that the judge was empowered to quash the Bofors FIR, which was eventually done by Justice Chawla.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 1, 1991