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

New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) CBI was today allowed by a Delhicourt to quiz former Telecom Minister A Raja for two more daysafter it said that the "evasive" leader has to be confrontedwith documents and some officials of DoT to ascertain his rolein the 2G spectrum case.

"It is a case in which the allegations are that the actsof the accused caused loss to the state to the tune of Rs22,000 crore in the grant of the Unified Access ServiceLicences (UASL) by misuse of his official position.

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

During the hearing, CBI prosecutors K K Goel and Akhileshsought four days'' custody of the 47-year-old DMK leader saying"he was evasive in his replies and some more documents have tobe 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 telecomoperators for the grant of the spectrum and the licences haveto be unearthed," they said, adding the Supreme Court was alsomonitoring the investigation of the case.

The prosecutors, meanwhile, said the probe agency didnot require the custody of former Telecom Secretary SiddharthBehura and his former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia andthey may be sent to judicial custody for 14 days. The plea wasallowed by the court.

Wearing a black stripped safari suit, Raja, the Dalitface of DMK, was greeted by his followers, including somelawmakers from Tamil Nadu, and some of his family membersoutside the courtroom.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta opposed the plea saying "CBIshould satisfy the court about the outcome of the five-dayinterrogation 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 diaryhas already been submitted to the court. Each and everythingcannot be disclosed in the open courtroom."

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

"I am not having the custody of any document which CBIwants to recover from me. Whatever documents were there, theyhave already been seized by them in 2009 itself," the defencecounsel said. (More) PTI ABA SJK