I-T dept to grill Raja, other 2G accused, next week

It is now the Income Tax Department's turn to question six of the 2G telecom spectrum scam accused. The court trying the case on Thursday gave it permission to interrogate former telecom minister, A Raja; the former directors of Swan Telecom, Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka; and, Reliance Telecom senior executives Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara, in the court lock-up on July 27, 28 and 29.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, meanwhile, started arguments on framing of charges against the various accused in the scam. CBI counsel U U Lalit told the court that Raja purposely sat on the application of Tata Teleservices and that Swan was a front company for the Reliance ADA Group.

CBI officials had quizzed Raja, Doshi and former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura in the judicial lock-up on July 18 for an hour each. Raja and Behura were questioned by CBI in connection with the Loop Telecom and Essar investigations. Doshi was grilled by CBI on the company's connection with Delphi, a company to whom Reliance Telecom had sold its 9.9 per cent stake in Swan Telecom.

The court also rejected Doshi's plea to be allowed on Saturday and Sunday to attend his company’s annual general meeting.