2G scam: Raja, others object to CBI's move of filing additional docs

New Delhi: Several high-profile accused in the 2G case today raised objection in a Delhi court on the CBI’s move of filing additional documents, including some communications exchanged between Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Department of Telecom (DoT). The agency had yesterday filed some documents relating to former TRAI chairman Nripendra Misra, who appeared before the court to depose as a prosecution witness in the 2G case. The counsel appearing for former telecom minister A Raja, ex-telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and others said that the CBI’s move was “malafide” as it has not given proper reasons as to why it has filed these documents, related to Misra, just a day before his deposition as a witness. [caption id=“attachment_179137” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] “The CBI has shown these documents to the witness (Misra) while recording his statement way back in March 2011 but they have not been provided to us. The documents were seized by CBI a day after registration of FIR in October 2009 but they were not filed in the court along with the charge sheets,” senior advocate Sushil Kumar, appearing for Raja, told special CBI judge OP Saini. The agency had filed some documents including TRAI files, correspondence between Misra and former telecom secretaries Behura, DS Mathur and others on the issues of licences and spectrum allocation. Behura’s counsel SP Minocha contended that the CBI’s plea to take these documents on record was against the principles of law and was not maintainable. “As per CBI, it was an inadvertent mistake on their part that they could not file the documents earlier in the court. No other reason has been given as to why these documents are essential now…It only proves malafide on the part of the CBI as these documents has been filed at this stage of the trial,” he said. The court has listed for tomorrow the matter for arguments on the filing of additional documents by the CBI after Misra’s deposition remained inconclusive. The court deferred recording of statement of Misra after both the CBI and the defence counsel agreed to first decide on the issue of filing of additional documents by the agency. “Nripendra Misra examined in examination-in-chief partly and thereafter, deferred as certain documents are not on record and an application filed by the prosecution is coming up for disposal tomorrow regarding placing of those documents on record on the prayer of both parties,” the court said. During arguments on filing of documents, CBI’s prosecutor AK Singh said that the agency was entitled to file additional documents which was seized earlier and due to some reasons, could not have been filed with the charge sheet. “We are filing it now and this court has earlier passed an order in this regard as well. We are bringing these documents in the court for this case,” Singh said. The defence counsel, however, opposed CBI’s plea and said they need time of at least a day to file their detailed reply to argue on the issue. The defence counsel said that if the CBI wants to examine Misra, then the agency could proceed without referring to these documents which it had filed yesterday. PTI