Bofors: SC agrees to hear plea challenging dropping of charges against Hinduja brothers

New Delhi: The Bofors scandal has returned to haunt the Congress.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal of BJP leader Ajay Kumar Agarwal challenging Delhi High Court order quashing charges against Europe-based industrialists -- the Hinduja brothers -- in the politically-sensitive Bofors pay-off scam case.

The Bofors issue came in focus again recently after a parliamentary panel suggested that the case of irregularities in purchase of Bofors guns should be reopened as there were many "loopholes" in the investigation in past.

The Bofors scandal relating to alleged payment of kickbacks in procurement of howitzer artillery guns had triggered a massive political storm and led to the fall of the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1989.

The CBI has said it can re-investigate only if a court or government order was issued.