2G case sees trading of charges

The 2G spectrum case trial today saw trading of charges in a Delhi court with A Raja's ex-aide and key prosecution witness Aseervatham Achary saying he felt intimidated by various accused and the defence counsel alleging CBI had "coerced" and "tutored" him.

During his cross examination by Swan Telecom promoter Vinod Goenka's counsel Majid Memon, erstwhile Additional Private Secretary of former Telecom Minister Raja said when an unknown person came to meet him at his residence on August 20, 2011, it was in his "mind" that the accused were "trying to intimidate" him.

Achary said this in reply to Memon's question why he did not inform CBI immediately after the August 20 incident.

Achary said he had got a call from the manager of his previous residential apartment on September 2, 2011, saying a CBI officer had come there to inquire about purported voluntary retirement sought by him from Railway Board.

"I had not applied for any voluntary retirement and if I had applied, why would a CBI officer conduct an inquiry and give clearance to Railway Board and my mind said the accused persons are trying to intimidate me so that I do not come to the court to tell anything," Achary told Special CBI Judge OP Saini.

He said immediately after this incident on September 2, 2011, he called CBI SP Vivek Priyadarshi and informed him about it.

During the cross examination, Memon alleged Achary was pressurised by CBI and his statement was prepared by the agency, to which he disagreed rpt disagreed.

"Our instructions are that witnesses were coerced into giving statement. I put to you [Achary] that your entire statement was prepared by CBI and it was falsely attributed to you," Memon said.