Mumbai: The pen is mightier than the sword. journalist Chitra Subramaniam whose investigation into the $1.3 billion Bofors arms deal brought down the Congress government in 1989, lives by this credo. A new show by News9 Plus, ‘Exposé’, features Subramaniam at her candid best as she recounts what went on behind the scenes of her decade-long probe into the scandal and reveals exclusive details.
One of the most high-profile investigative journalists in the country, she exposed how the Rajiv Gandhi-led government allegedly received kickbacks for the supply of Swedish Howitzers to the Indian Army. It all began when 29-year-old Subramaniam came across a news item on Swedish radio about the armaments company Bofors bribing top Indian officials. The scandal broke in 1987 based on the testimony of a former Bofors employee who turned whistleblower.
“An accountant in Bofors saw these payments in secret Swiss bank accounts where it said, ‘Do not tell the name of the recipient’. And the accountant said if the money is paid legally, why do we have to hide the name of the recipient?” recalled Subramaniam.
‘Exposé’ is yet another example of News9 Plus’ dedication to serving clutter-cutting content, rich in perspective and in-depth analysis. Produced by News9 Plus’ team of seasoned journalists, the show follows Subramaniam’s investigation process.
She narrated how, through meticulous research and a lot of hard work winning the trust of her sources, she got her hands on documents that formed the foundation of the exposé: payment instructions to banks, secret contracts, minutes of meetings, and the diary of Bofors chief Martin Ardbo.
As she followed the money trail and dug deeper to discover a web of corruption, with the then-PM Rajiv Gandhi at the centre, all hell broke loose in India. “Is it possible for a prime minister of a country to tell so many lies?” asks Subramaniam in the News9 Plus story.
Subramaniam, now 65, also spoke to News9 Plus about the role of the Hindujas and alleged middleman Ottavio Quattrocchi in the scandal. Quattrocchi was believed to be close to the Gandhi family and acted as an agent for the deal. “The day I wrote the piece in the Indian Express, Ottavio Quattrocchi fled India that night. How do you flee when the police, CBI, and everybody else is trying to catch you?”
Despite receiving death threats against herself and her children, she continued to work on the Bofors deal scam for about a decade, piecing together the information to present the whole truth to the public. Slashed car tyres and smashed windows could not deter her.
It was her love for the country and love for her work that kept her going. “I could not stop even after Rajiv Gandhi’s government fell. He had destroyed every institution, the judiciary, the parliament, the executive, even the Army,” she told News9 Plus.
She further revealed that somebody in the Central Bureau of Investigation wanted to frame Amitabh Bachchan in the Bofors case. “You cannot imagine the pressure on me by the VP Singh government to blame Amitabh Bachchan because my word was sacrosanct.”
Subramaniam pointed out that there are still loose ends. “There are documents lying with the CBI. These boxes haven’t been opened yet. Mr Modi, open the boxes, please.”
‘Exposé’ is a must-watch for anyone interested in the groundbreaking investigation that became a classic example of good old hard-hitting journalism. News9 Plus’ best-in-class storytelling and superior production values take you beyond the history-making headlines by Subramaniam. Watch ‘Exposé’, now streaming on News9 Plus.
