2G spectrum case: CBI allowed to quiz Raja for two more days

NEW DELHI: CBI was today allowed by a Delhi court to quiz former Telecom Minister A Raja for two more days after it said that the "evasive" leader has to be confronted with documents and some officials of DoT to ascertain his role in the 2G spectrum case.
"It is a case in which the allegations are that the acts of the accused caused loss to the state to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore in the grant of the Unified Access Service Licences (UASL) by misuse of his official position.

"Naturally, it is a complex case based on documents and at the relevant time accused A Raja was the minister in charge of the department. Accordingly, considering the submissions of the parties and material on record, Raja is remanded to police custody till February 10," Special CBI Judge O P Saini said.

During the hearing, CBI prosecutors K K Goel and Akhilesh sought four days' custody of the 47-year-old DMK leader saying "he was evasive in his replies and some more documents have to be recovered at his instance."

"Accused A Raja has to be confronted with suspects, some officials and staffs of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to unearth the entire conspiracy," the prosecutors said.

"The trail of money, received from various telecom operators for the grant of the spectrum and the licences have to be unearthed," they said, adding the Supreme Court was also monitoring the investigation of the case.

The prosecutors, meanwhile, said the probe agency did not require the custody of former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura and his former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia and they may be sent to judicial custody for 14 days. The plea was allowed by the court.

Wearing a black stripped safari suit, Raja, the Dalit face of DMK, was greeted by his followers, including some lawmakers from Tamil Nadu, and some of his family members outside the courtroom.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta opposed the plea saying "CBI should satisfy the court about the outcome of the five-day interrogation of the accused."

Terming as erroneous the plea that Raja was evasive, Gupta said the agency should specify the information.

The prosecutors responded by saying "the case diary has already been submitted to the court. Each and everything cannot be disclosed in the open courtroom."

Raja's counsel also refuted the plea that the agency was yet to recover some crucial documents at his instance.

"I am not having the custody of any document which CBI wants to recover from me. Whatever documents were there, they have already been seized by them in 2009 itself," the defence counsel said.