The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is preparing to send a judicial request, known as a Letter Rogatory (LR), to the United States to obtain information from private investigator Michael Hershman, who has expressed his willingness to provide crucial details about the Rs 64-crore Bofors bribery scandal from the 1980s. Officials confirmed the development on Sunday, stating that the process to send the LR began in October and could take approximately 90 days to formalise.

A Letter Rogatory is a formal request made by one country's court to another for assistance in a criminal investigation or prosecution. The CBI has informed a special court hearing of its plea for further investigation into the politically sensitive case about these efforts.

The Bofors case centres on allegations of a Rs 64-crore bribe paid in a Rs 1,437-crore deal with Swedish firm Bofors during the Congress-led government in the 1980s. The deal was for the procurement of 400 155mm field howitzers, which later played a pivotal role in India's success during the Kargil War.

While the Delhi High Court exonerated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 2004 and quashed charges against other accused, including the Hinduja brothers, in 2005, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, alleged to be a middleman in the payoff, was discharged in 2011. That year, a court permitted the CBI to withdraw prosecution against him, effectively closing the case.

In 2017, Michael Hershman, head of the Fairfax Group, visited India to attend a private detectives' conference. During his visit, he appeared on various platforms, alleging that the investigation was derailed by the Congress government and expressing his readiness to share vital details with the CBI. The agency took note of his statements and announced plans to investigate further.

Since then, the CBI has sent multiple communications to US authorities, including letters and reminders on November 8, 2023, December 21, 2023, May 13, 2024, and August 14, 2024, seeking Hershman’s cooperation but has yet to receive a response. US authorities have repeatedly requested additional time.

The CBI had appealed in the Supreme Court in 2018 against the 2005 Delhi High Court decision, but the plea was dismissed on grounds of delay. The apex court, however, allowed the agency to raise its points in a separate appeal filed by advocate Ajay Aggarwal in 2005.

Hershman’s willingness to cooperate has reignited interest in the decades-old bribery scandal. The CBI is now taking steps to reopen the investigation in light of these revelations, with hopes of finally uncovering the truth behind the case.