The government does not plan to launch a fresh probe into the Bofors gun deal and Ottavio Quattrocchi stands "discharged" as he could not be extradited even 20 years after the registration of the case, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, he said, "An application for withdrawal of court case against Ottavio Quattrocchi was filed by the public prosecutor on October 3, 2009 in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, who passed an order allowing the withdrawal of prosecution case against Ottavio Quattrocchi."
Quattrocchi had left India on July 29-30, 1993, before the Central Bureau of Investigation had any material evidence warranting his arrest, he said.
"Consequently, he (Quattrocchi) stands discharged from the case," Antony said.
He said the measures to get Quattrocchi extradited from Malaysia and Argentina could not succeed.
"As per the information provided by CBI, the measures taken for the extradition of accused Ottavio Quattrochhi from Malaysia and Argentina could not succeed even 20 years after the registration of the case," he said.
The minister replied in the negative to a query on whether the government plans to launch a fresh probe to look into the 1986 Bofors deal.
