2G: Shahid Balwa wants to depose as witness to defend himself

A Delhi court had earlier allowed Raja's plea seeking to depose as a witness to defend himself in the ongoing trial

Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, one of the accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case, today told a Delhi court he wanted to depose as a witness to defend himself in the ongoing trial.

Balwa's counsel Vijay Aggarwal told Special CBI Judge O P Saini that his client wished to depose as a witness in the case in which the court is scheduled to commence the recording of statements of defence witnesses from July 1.

"He (Shahid Balwa) wants to examine himself," Aggarwal told the court after which the judge asked CBI whether it has any objection to it.

CBI's prosecutor K K Goel replied "this is his (Balwa's) right."

Balwa's counsel initially told the court that he wanted to bring six witnesses in his defence but later he said he would be one of them.

"Defence is my right. They (CBI) have produced 153 witnesses and I am only seeking to summon 5-6 witnesses in my defence," he said.

He also said co-accused, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, who are Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, were seeking permission to examine a total of five witnesses only in their defence in the case.

Regarding ex-Telecom Minister A Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, also an accused in the case, Aggarwal told the court that he was only summoning some documents in his defence.

The court, after hearing the arguments, reserved its order for tomorrow on the issue of calling defence witnesses and documents as sought by these accused.

The court had earlier allowed Raja's plea seeking to depose as a witness to defend himself in the ongoing trial.