New Delhi: Former Telecom Minister A Rajatoday told a Delhi court that the decision about the cut-off date of September 25, 2007 for processing of applications seeking 2G spectrum licence was taken after "due deliberations" in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Deposing as a witness to defend himself in ongoing 2G case trial, Raja denied the suggestion of CBI prosecutor that he had decided the cut-off date of September 25, 2007 without any basis.
"It is wrong to suggest that I decided the cut-off date of September 25, 2007 for processing of applications received upto this date only without any basis as the records as to how the cut-off date was decided is available in the files and the decision was taken after due deliberations," Raja told Special CBI Judge O P Saini during his cross-examination by the CBI prosecutor.
"It is wrong to suggest that no deliberations took place in the DoT when the aforesaid cut-off date of September 25, 2007 was approved by me," he said. CBI had, in its charge sheet, alleged that in order to favour Unitech and Swan Telecom, Raja unilaterally advanced the cut-off date from October 1, 2007 to September 25, 2007 for processing applications for grant of 2G licences and ignored various authorities including the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, the Law Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office. During the cross-examination, the CBI prosecutor asked Raja that "in fixing a cut-off date, you (Raja) exceeded your powers as Minister for MOC&IT?" Responding to this, Raja said "it is incorrect." Asked about the reasons for fixing a cut-off date, Raja, whose cross-examination would continue tomorrow, said "the reasons are receipt of large number of applications and difficulty in handling this large number of applications." CBI, in its charge sheet filed on April 2, 2011, had alleged "the investigation has revealed that even though this cut-off date of October 1 had been announced, accused Raja, in conspiracy with other accused, had already taken a view to keep the cut-off date as September 25."
Raja is facing trial in the case along with former Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra, Reliance ADAG executives Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair. Besides them, Bollywood producer Karim Morani, Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar and Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, are also facing trial in the case.
Besides these 14 accused, three telecom firms—Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Reliance Telecom Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd-- are also accused in the case. The court had on October 22, 2011 framed charges against them 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, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking bribe.
