Orders to prosecute RK Chandolia signed by Gopalan: 2G Scam

NEW DELHI: Former economic affairs secretary R Gopalan told the CBI special court that is handling the 2G spectrum scam trial that he had signed orders to prosecute RK Chandolia, the ex-aide of former telecom minister A Raja, in April 2011.

Gopalan appeared on Tuesday as a witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case even as he denied allegations from senior lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, representing Chandolia, that he had authenticated the draft sanction order received from CBI without applying his mind to it.

Gopalan said he had seen and signed the sanction order dated April 1, 2011 against Chandolia and added that the competent authority to accord sanction for prosecution was Pranab Mukherjee who was the finance minister at that time.

Gopalan had joined as the secretary of department of economic affairs on January 31 last year. In a related matter, CBI Special judge OP Saini reserved an order on the probe agency's plea seeking handwriting samples of three senior executives of Reliance ADAG who face trial in the case.

The CBI wants these samples for identifying their alleged signatures on documents filed in the court along with the chargesheet.

The CBI had moved an application for taking specimens of signatures of Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair as witnesses could not verify their signatures on some documents filed in the court.

Special prosecutor UU Lalit said that the opinion of a handwriting expert was necessary to ensure the veracity of signatures on these documents.

However, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Doshi and Pipara opposed the move and said: "It is just a vague and bald application. It is meant only to harass and create prejudice to the accused and the CBI is not interested in fair play." The matter will be heard on November 30.

Doshi, Pipara and Nair, Chandolia and Raja are being tried along with 14 others by the court for their alleged role in 2G case.

On Monday, RBI Governer D Subbarao appeared as a prosecution witness and said he had in 2007 questioned the then telecom secretary DS Mathur on the spectrum fee of around 1,600 crore for pan-India licence and how the fee that was fixed in 2001 be applied in 2007.