Amitabh Bachchan Dragged into Bofors Scandal Without Evidence: Chitra Subramaniam
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was falsely implicated in the Bofors scandal through a planted story linking his name to a secret Swiss account, alleges journalist Chitra Subramaniam.
New Delhi: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was falsely implicated in the Bofors scandal through a planted story linking his name to a secret Swiss account, alleges journalist Chitra Subramaniam. She describes the episode as part of a “vicious campaign” against the actor.
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No Evidence Against Bachchan
Subramaniam, in an interview with IANS, stated:
“No, there was absolutely no shred of evidence that he (Amitabh Bachchan) had taken any money. But the water had been muddied so much that by the time the water could be cleaned up, the damage had been done.”
Highlighting the impact of such allegations, she added,
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“And you know how it is like, imagine the name of the Bachchans, I mean it’s a big name…”
Pressure to Prove Involvement
In her recently released book, Boforsgate: A Journalist’s Pursuit of Truth, Subramaniam details the pressure she faced to find proof against the Bachchans—Amitabh and his brother Ajitabh—after their names surfaced in the scandal. She accuses sections of the government and media of trying to falsely implicate the Bollywood megastar, who was then a Member of Parliament from Allahabad.
“And you say the sixth account… there was no sixth account. It didn’t exist… it was planted by the Indian government officials,” she revealed.
She also criticized media and legal authorities for their casual approach in throwing around names without evidence.
“You don’t speak loosely as a journalist… if you are a journalist of stature or an official of stature, you don’t speak loosely, throwing names here and there,” she emphasized.
The Alleged Plot
In her book, Subramaniam recounts a meeting between an Indian delegation and a Bofors delegation, where the names of the Bachchans and some Italian relatives of the Prime Minister were mentioned.
She describes a 1990 trip to Switzerland, where a team member of the Indian delegation told her about a “sixth account” supposedly linked to a person not named in the FIR. However, after making 18 phone calls to her sources in Switzerland and Sweden, she found no confirmation. Despite mounting pressure, she refused to report the story without independent verification and was ultimately vindicated.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Silence and Resignation
Addressing Bachchan’s silence and resignation from his parliamentary seat in 1987, Subramaniam described him as a “gentleman to the core.”
“What can you say if the accusation is so false, where do you even begin?” she remarked.
She first contacted Ajitabh Bachchan in Switzerland but was initially denied a meeting. Later, she connected with Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. She recounts their meetings, expressing admiration for Amitabh’s extensive knowledge beyond cinema.
A Target of Envy and Malice
Subramaniam also reflected on the intense character assassination that followed her refusal to publish the planted story. She believes Amitabh Bachchan was targeted due to envy.
“And now, when I think back, people have asked me why do you think he (Amitabh Bachchan) was brought in, I think there was envy. The man… he didn’t need the money, he didn’t need the fame, he was somebody on his own. You needed to crush him… and the viciousness of it all, it was horrible.
