Govt says no control on UK

A day after the Supreme Court directed the Government and CBI to ensure that Bofors-accused Ottavio Quattrocchi did not withdraw money from ...

A day after the Supreme Court directed the Government and CBI to ensure that Bofors-accused Ottavio Quattrocchi did not withdraw money from his defrozen accounts in a London bank, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Government did not have any “jurisdiction” over other countries.

“We have no jurisdiction on other countries. We can at best make a request to them (Britain),” he told reporters after watching the NCC parade here. Asked if the Government would make any formal request to British authorities, he said “views of legal experts will be taken” on the issue. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has already informed the CBI that the two accounts of Quattrocchi have been defrozen. And the CPS, in a written reply last night to a question from The Indian Express, said refreezing Quattrocchi’s accounts was not possible.

CPS spokesperson Annabelle McMillan said: “No, an order cannot be reinstated. It would have to be a fresh application satisfying the usual criteria.” But a fresh application would be easier said than done. To entertain it, the (British) High Court, McMillan said, “is likely to ask for evidence as to how/why there has been a change in circumstances.”

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, Quattrocchi has denied reports that he was in touch with Law minister H R Bhardwaj. He also maintained that Bhardwaj’s lawyer son had not advised him in his extradition case in Malaysia. “This is not correct, not at all correct,” he told NDTV on telephone from Milan.Asked about his proximity to the Gandhi family, he said “well, I am proud to be a friend of the Gandhi family. But please leave the friendship alone.”

Quoting a judge, Quattrocchi said that after 20 years of probe, “no proof, not even an iota” has been established to link him with it. Asked if he would cooperate with the CBI if he was questioned in Milan, he said that, through his lawyer in New Delhi and press releases, he always offered his collaboration “but I was never officially invited” by the CBI for questioning. “Anyway”, he said, “I may consider it.”

Delhi Traffic Police issue advisory for Dussehra, Ramlila from today: Check timing

Cities50 min ago

As the festival season sets in with Dussehra, and devotees are expected to flock to Ramleela Ground and the Red Fort areas, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory Sunday, saying they will close some routes from Monday until October 3.

View all shorts

Live Blog