2G case: Court to record statements of additional CBI witnesses tomorrow

NEW DELHI: A special court today fixed for tomorrow recording of statements of five additional CBI witnesses in the 2G spectrum allocation case in which former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others are facing trial.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who was scheduled to record the statements of the witnesses today, could not proceed as one of the five witnesses who was summoned did not appear before it as summons issued for him could not be served.

Senior public prosecutor K K Goel told the court that D Mani, a bank official from Chennai, was to appear today but the summons issued to him has returned unserved as he has since retired.

"No other PW (prosecution witness) is present or served for today. Put up the matter for further prosecution evidence on January 28," the judge said.

Besides Mani, the other prosecution witnesses to be examined in the case are Enforcement Directorate (ED) Deputy Director Rajeshwar Singh, ED's Assistant Director Satyendra Singh and Under Secretary in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Navil Kapur.

Apart from these four persons, the court had also allowed CBI's plea seeking to recall General Manager (Finance) of Kalaignar TV (P) Ltd G Rajendran, who had earlier deposed as a witness in the case, for further examination.

Earlier, on September 10 last year, the special court had concluded recording of defence evidence in the case.

In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.

The recording of evidence in the case involving Raja and 16 others had started three years ago on November 11, 2011, after the court had framed charges against the 17 accused named in the first two charge sheets filed by the agency.