merisarkar news service, New Delhi, February 03, 2011
5 day CBI custody for A. Raja
Former Telecom Minister A Raja, former Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura and Raja's former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia, have been remanded in CBI custody for 5 days.
Earlier the three were produced in a Patiala House Court in New Delhi in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam. CBI demanded his custody for five days which the Court granted.
In its remand petition, the CBI accused Raja of causing a loss of 22,000 crore rupees to the exchequer by favouring some telecom firms in award of the 2G spectrum licenses.
A Raja, Siddartha Behura and R K Chandolia, were produced before Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
Seeking their custody, CBI counsel Akhilesh argued that due to Raja, at least two telecom firms were benefited to the tune of several hundred crores of rupees by selling their stakes to various other global firms shortly after getting licences.
The CBI said in a statement that former telecom minister A. Raja's custody was essential for further questioning because he had been evasive in replying to their queries during his interrogation earlier at the agency's headquarters.
