New Delhi: Supreme Court on July 12 stayed the Delhi High Court order quashing the chargesheet against three Hinduja brothers, who are accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice B N Kirpal, Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Passayat directed that the trial in the case will continue.

The bench said, "We are staying the operation of the High Court judgement and all proceedings in the matter will go on."

This order was passed on the appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the order of the High Court, which has quashed the chargesheet against Hindujas, Srichand, Gopicahnd and Prakashchand, on the ground that CBI had not taken the mandatory permission from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) before filing the chargesheet against them.

On June 10, the High Court had quashed the CBI chargesheet against the Hinduja brothers for want of clearance from the CVC as per guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Vineet Narain case.

"The learned special judge, in view of the mandate of the Supreme Court, ought not have entertained the chargesheet filed in violation of the directives," Justice R S Sodhi said quashing the cognisance of the chargesheet taken by the trial court and all consequential proceedings against the Hindujas.

PTI