2G: Court allows Subramanian Swamy to be witness in complaint against Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today allowed Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy to depose as a witness and lead further evidence in support of his private complaint against Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum case.

"Complainant Dr Subramanian Swamy is permitted to recall himself as complainant witness one for leading further evidence," Special CBI Judge O P Saini said.

The court told Swamy that the list of witnesses, which he had filed with his application, for summoning some senior CBI officials and other public servants to press his case would be allowed only after he could explain the relevance of their testimony.

"Other witnesses as mentioned in the list of witnesses filed with the application, shall be allowed to be summoned only after relevance of their testimony is explained by the complainant (Swamy)," the court said.

The judge said Swamy could lead evidence in support of his complaint as he has referred to the role of other conspirators in it.

"In view of the facts that complainant was not aware of the identity of additional proposed accused (s) at the time of filing of complaint, but has now come to know about it, he is not prevented in law from leading evidence on this point, more so, when he has referred to the role of other conspirators in his complaint," the judge said.

The court directed Swamy to appear in the witness box on December 17 to lead further evidence in support of his complaint against Chidambaram.

The court had on December 3 reserved its order on Swamy's plea seeking permission to examine himself afresh, senior CBI officials and others to prove that Chidambaram had taken a joint decision with former Telecom Minister A Raja regarding fixing the price for 2G spectrum.

He had claimed that Chidambaram, as the then Finance Minister, had permitted Swan Telecom and Unitech, who had secured the licences, to sell their shares to foreign companies.