2G case: religiously sat for 7 years but no evidence came, says Special CBI judge

Public perception has no place in judicial proceedings, says O.P. Saini after acquitting A. Raja, Kanimozhi and others

December 21, 2017 04:29 pm | Updated December 01, 2021 06:28 am IST - New Delhi

 DMK leader and former telecom minister A. Raja greeting DMK supporters after he was acquitted in the 2G spectrum case at Patiala House Courts , in New Delhi on Thursday.

DMK leader and former telecom minister A. Raja greeting DMK supporters after he was acquitted in the 2G spectrum case at Patiala House Courts , in New Delhi on Thursday.

Special CBI Judge O.P.Saini on Tursday rued that despite having “religiously” devoted seven years to 2G scam cases, no “legally admissible evidence” was placed before him by the CBI.

The judge made the remark in his verdict acquitting former telecom minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and several others, including top corporate honchos, in three separate cases probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“I may also add that for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open Court from 10 am to 5 pm, awaiting for someone with some legally admissible evidence in his possession, but all in vain,” Saini said in his 1,552 page verdict in the CBI’s case involving Raja and others.

The court of the special judge had come into being on March 14, 2011 in pursuance of a Supreme Court order for exclusively hearing all the cases arising out of the 2G scam probe.

In his 1,552-page judgement in the CBI’s case involving Raja and others, Saini also noted that rumour, gossip and speculation created the public perception about the cases but this has no place in judicial proceedings.

“Not a single soul turned up. This indicates that everybody was going by public perception created by rumour, gossip and speculation. However, public perception has no place in judicial proceedings,” the court said.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.