BENGALURU: Decades ago, when journalist Chitra Subramaniam found herself in possession of classified documents exposing one of India’s biggest weapons-contract political scandals, the Bofors Scandal, she hoped against hope that it was not true. But as the layers of the Bofors scandal unfolded before her, she realized she had stumbled upon a story that would shape the trajectory of Indian politics.
In Boforsgate: A Journalist’s Pursuit of Truth, which was officially released in Bengaluru on Saturday, she recounted the relentless pursuit of facts, the personal and professional costs of her investigation, and the larger implications of an arms deal that shook the nation.
The Bofors case traces back to the late 1970s to the mid-80s, when India purchased Howitzer artillery guns from the Swedish Bofors AB to meet its dire need for defense modernization. Swedish National Radio later reported that bribes were paid to middlemen to secure the arms deal. As developments unfolded, Rajiv Gandhi became one of the central figures in the alleged arms scandal, which Chitra exposed in the Indian media.
At the book’s launch, organized by Atta Galatta and Juggernaut Books, Chitra, in conversation with journalist Vasanthi Hariprakash, discussed her journey from an early-career journalist to the central figure in exposing the scandal.