Sadiq Batcha was under pressure to turn approver, claims friend

CHENNAI/PERAMBALUR: Sadiq Batcha might well have been under pressure to turn approver in the 2G spectrum case. Some people close to him insist he was. "He told me that his wife was asking him to be an approver and put an end to the case," Batcha’s friend N Chellathurai told TOI on Wednesday. "But he didn’t appear too keen to turn approver." Chellathurai like Batcha is from Perambalur and has known him for more than 20 years.

Chellathurai said he spoke to Batcha over the phone about a fortnight ago. "He is not the kind of man who would kill himself." Other acquaintances said till recently he turned up at his hometown for functions and showed no apparent signs of stress or pressure.

Another person close to the aide of former minister A Raja said Batcha had consulted a fresh set of senior advocates. "These senior lawyers advised him to turn approver," the source said adding that he seemed unruffled by the CBI probe.

"The worst that can happen to me is that I’d get imprisoned," Chellathurai quoted Batcha as saying, "I can handle all that. What I may not be able to handle is the psychological pressure from some quarters."

Some lawyers who have been briefing Batcha too said he appeared confident of weathering the CBI investigation. Given his nonchalance, the suicide has raised suspicion.

AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa was among the first to raise questions about the manner of his death. "Is it a murder or a forced suicide," she said in a statement, demanding that all witnesses in the 2G spectrum case be kept in CBI or judicial custody till the probe gets over. "A protective cover has to be provided to Raja, main accused in the case," she said.

Political analyst Cho Ramaswamy was less euphemistic . "It could well be a murder," he said, "Perhaps the man knew too much." Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy said he was not surprised by the development . "Some murders or suicides can take place," was his cryptic response to reporters in Delhi. However, the state government has sought to put an end to such speculation by asking for a CBI probe to verify the circumstances surrounding Batcha’s death.