The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appeal in the Bofors case citing delay.

CBI earlier this year had filed an appeal in the politically-sensitive Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case after a 13-year delay against the Delhi High Court decision quashing charges against all the accused.

The apex court said that grounds given by CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing appeal are not justified

However, the court indicated there is already an appeal filed against the same order of Delhi High Court pending with it where CBI can present its case.

The matter was heard by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice K M Joseph.

The probe agency had filed an appeal on February 2 this year against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi High Court.

BJP leader and advocate Ajay Agrawal, was pursuing the matter for over a decade, had filed an appeal in the top court in 2005 itself after the CBI had failed to challenge the high court's order within the mandatory 90 days period.

Agrawal, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli against the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, had filed the appeal in which he had also made CBI as one of the respondents. 

The CBI in its appeal stated that further investigation was necessary in view of the reports relating to private detective Michael Hershman.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

The CBI on January 22, 1990 had registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

(With agency inputs)