Batcha got 1000cr as kickbacks; forced not to turn approver

Chennai, Mar 21: After the

grabbed the headlines, more skeltons seem to be tumbling out of the ever-growing 2G closet. Latest news to have emerged from the murky 2G scandal seem to be based on a conversation. A couple of days before his death Batcha has apparently told his friend that he had received Rs 1000 crore as kickbacks from the 2G spectrum scam.

Former Telecom Minister and the person in the center of controversy, A Raja on the other hand got Rs 7000 crore as kickbacks that has now landed him in judicial custody now.

Batcha's friend, CPI(M) functionary N. Chelladurai who also hails from Raja's hometown Perambalur has been quoted as saying, “Batcha called me on the phone around 10 days before he killed himself and admitted that he received Rs 1,000 crore while Raja made over Rs 7,000 crore."

In an exclusive interview to the Deccan Chronicle, Chelladurai added, “Batcha said he had helped Raja with hawala transactions to cover up the money trail. Batcha said his wife was asking him to turn approver in the 2G spectrum case that is being investigated by the CBI. He said his wife was threatening to commit suicide if he was not ready to turn approver. But he was under heavy pressure from Raja"s camp, which insisted that he not turn approver."

The people in Perambalur also remembers Batcha as a man with big ambitions and as being a generous man. His generosity was felt especially during Ramadan when he would give feasts to people. One of his friends said, “He invited people from all walks of life. Political leaders from all parties were invited to these events."

People also recalled his dream to make it big since he emerged from humble beginnings as was revealed by a former Perambalur MLA's wife, Bhuvaneswari Devarajan who had a close acquaintance of Batcha and said, “He wanted to be a businessman like Mukesh Ambani and was always ready to help the poor."

A demigod for people in Perambalur, Batcha helped close to 100 families earn a living by giving them employment in his various business ventures there. But it looks like the ambition got the better of him.

OneIndia News