By IANS,
New Delhi: Jailed former communications minister A. Raja will Monday resume the cross-examination of his former aide Aseevatham Achary in the 2G case in a CBI special court here.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini would resume the hearing, after a week-long winter break, during which Achary is testifying as a witness.
During the last hearing Dec 23, Achary told the court that he was not aware of Raja’s ex-private security R.K. Chandolia’s bail hearing which is likely to come up in the Supreme Court Monday.
Raja’s counsel Sushil Kumar told the court that the drama created by Achary in court Dec 22, by alleging that he had received life threats from a man present in court, was meant to impact the hearing on Chandolia’s bail plea in the apex court.
“Achary was repeatedly saying that the man (accused of threatening Achary) was sitting with Chandolia,” the lawyer said, adding that this could influence Chandolia’s bail plea.
According to the government auditor, the 2G scam allegedly masterminded by Raja pertained to a biased distribution of mobile airwaves and operating licences, in lieu of kickbacks, to telecom firms that could have cost the treasury up to Rs.1.76 lakh crore in lost revenue.
Nineteen individuals and six companies are accused in the case.
Except for Raja and former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, all other arrested accused have been freed on bail.