2G case: Raja completes one year in jail

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, the prime accused facing trial in the 2G case, today completed one year in jail since his arrest in the high-profile scam.

Raja, who was the first one to be arrested in the case on February 2, last year, is languishing behind the bars as he has not yet moved any application for release on bail.

Besides Raja, former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura who too was arrested on February 2 last year, is still in jail as his bail applications have been rejected repeatedly by the trial court as well as the Delhi High Court.

Barring Raja and Behura, all co-accused including DMK MP Kanimozhi, Raja's former private secretary RK Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka have earlier been granted bail by the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and the trial court respectively.

The court on October 22, last year had framed charges against Raja and 16 others for offences including criminal breach of trust which entails a maximum punishment of life term.

The charges were framed under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, faking documents, abusing official position, getting bribe and criminal misconduct by public servant. These offences entail punishment ranging from six months in jail to life imprisonment.

Besides them, corporate honchos-Reliance ADA Group's MD Gautam Doshi, Group President Surendra Pipara and Senior Vice President Hari Nair, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Bollywood producer Karim Morani and Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt ltd Asif Balwa and Rajeev Aggarwal are facing trial in the case.

Three telecom firms Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd and Reliance Telecom Ltd are also facing trial in the case.