Raja wants to appear in SC, files plea in court: Report

Jailed former telecom minister A Raja, the prime accused in the 2G spectrum case, has filed a petition in the trial court seeking appearance in the apex court since it is monitoring the 2G spectrum allocation case, according to TV reports. On September 30, Raja contended in a special


court that he will participate in the trial only when the CBI clearly explains whether it has completed its investigation against him. Raja's lawyer Sushil Kumar has refused to file a reply to charges of criminal breach of public trust while asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the probe against him in the scam has been completed or not.
Raja's counsel told CBI special judge O P Saini that "till the agency declares that the investigation is closed, I will not argue before this court. I will participate in this trial only once the probe is over".

The probe agency on Sept 26 approached the court to frame fresh charges against the 17 accused, including Raja.

The probe agency asked the court for permission to frame charges for criminal breach of trust by a public servant against Raja, his former aide R K Chandolia, and former telecom secretary Siddartha Behura.

Criminal breach of trust is a non-bailable offence with punishment that stretches from 10 years to life.

The agency also pressed charges of criminal breach read with criminal conspiracy against the remaining 14 co-accused, including Raja's party colleague and DMK MP Kanimozhi. The other 14 co-accused include three companies.

2G case: Bail plea hearing of five accused deferred

A Delhi court on Monday deferred the hearing on the bail pleas of five accused in the 2G spectrum scam.

The hearing on the bail pleas of Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, both directors of Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables Pvt Ltd, and Cineyug Films director Karim Morani was deferred till October 17.

The hearing on the pleas of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa and RK Chandolia, ex-personal secretary to former communications minister A Raja, was deferred till October 18.

Counsel for Balwa and Agarwal told CBI special judge OP Saini that he will only argue on the bail application after the framing of charges.

Earlier, the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar were also deferred on the same ground.

The CBI had on Friday opposed the bail pleas of the seven accused in the case on the ground that according to the Supreme Court order, their bail pleas could be entertained only after the framing of charges.