2G scam: A Raja and 16 other accused to be on trial

New Delhi, Oct 22: Former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 15 others including top corporate honchos will be put on trial in the multi-crore 2G spectrum scam with a Delhi Court today (Oct 22) framing charges against them on various counts like criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating and forgery.

All the accused have been charged under Section 409 of IPC for alleged criminal breach of trust which attracts a maximum punishment of life term. The other charges attract various terms in jail. Special CBI judge O P Saini fixed November 11 for commencement of the trial after all the accused refused to plead guilty to various offences.

The framing of charges may now pave the way for the accused, who have been behind the bars for several months, to seek bail as the Supreme Court had virtually embargoed all the courts not to entertain their plea before framing of charges.

Beside Raja and Kanimozhi, the judge framed charges against corporate executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group's Managing Director Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara, Group's President and Hari Nair, senior Vice President, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, his cousin Asif Balwa, their colleague Rajeev Agarwal, Unitech Ltd's MD Sanjay Chandra and DB Realty MD Vinod Goenka.

The judge also said there was prima facie evidence for framing charges also against Kalaignar TV's MD Sharad Kumar, Bollywood filmmaker Karim Morani andf three telecom firms Reliance Telecom Ltd, Swan Telecom and Unitech (Tamil Nadu) Wireless Ltd.

PTI