2G case: Court concludes recording of prosecution evidence

Two years after the commencement of trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, a special court today concluded the recording of statement of CBI witnesses in the case involving former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, some top corporates and its executives.

The investigating agency informed the court that they are closing the prosecution evidence in the case after the judge concluded the recording of statement of CBI's Superintendent of Police Vivek Priyadarshi, the chief investigating officer.

"I close the prosecution evidence," senior public prosecutor K K Goel told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

The court has recorded statements of 153 CBI witnesses, including Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani, his wife Tina Ambani, former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and Attorney General G E Vahanvati, running into over 4,400 pages in the case involving Raja and 16 others.

The court has now fixed the matter for January 20. In the meantime, it will go ahead with the recording of evidence of CBI witnesses in the case involving promoters of Essar Group, Loop Telecom and others, who have been arrayed as accused in a case linked to the 2G scam.

In the case against promoters of Essar Group, Loop Telecom and others, the court has till now recorded statements of 83 prosecution witnesses.

The stage for the trial in the case involving Raja and 16 others, which had started on November 11, 2011, was set after the court had framed charges against the 17, including three telecom firms, named in the first two charge sheets saying there was sufficient prima facie evidence against them.

The proceedings in the case, conducted by the special CBI court set up exclusively to deal with the 2G spectrum case, is also being monitored by the Supreme Court.