Didn't pay money to Raja: Tata

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata on Wednesday denied an allegation by the promoter of Swan Telecom that he had paid Rs 20 crore to former telecom minister A Raja.

Speaking to the shareholders at the annual general meeting of Tata Steel, he said, "We have not paid Rs 20 crore to Raja. No fraud exists there and we haven't paid a single penny. We have not been asked nor have we given Raja or anybody any gratification or sought any benefit or bribed anybody in the telecom area. Other parties can say what they want to, the matter is in the court."

Yesterday, Shahid Balwa, who is currently lodged at the Tihar Jail along with A Raja for involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, said Tata paid a bribe to Raja. Balwa's lawyer said in a hearing that Raja requested a grant of Rs 20 crore for Perambalur Hospital from the Tata Trust. He also produced letters exchanged between Raja and Tata.

He also claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation was going soft on Tata. Balwa said companies were being selectively targeted by the investigative agency.

The CBI has given a clean chit to Tata and Niira Radia, chairperson of Vaishnavi Communications, the agency which handles the Tata Group's public relations.

"The investigative agencies have expressed their views, yet these information keep coming from other sources. I am sure, when the dust settles we will find what we said at the start has remained. Until that happens, we will not make any public statements," Tata said.

He also attacked his detractors and said that would look at filing defamation cases. "There are, unfortunately, no defamation laws to speak of, in this country. When the thing is over we will look at what defamation we can file and against whom. on Wednesday, all kinds of statements are being made about the prime minister, home minister and the foreign affairs minister. I don't know what to say... ," he said.