For the first time since his arrest on February 2, 2010, the former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, on Wednesday moved a bail application in the special CBI court hearing the 2G spectrum scam case on the grounds of parity with all other accused out on bail.

In his petition, moved soon after the Supreme Court granted bail to the former Telecom Secretary, Siddhartha Behura, Mr. Raja said the case against him was “false and fabricated” and not “sustainable on law or on facts.”

Special Judge O. P. Saini issued notice to the CBI, asking it to file its reply on May 11.

Mr. Raja said: “The case… is false and fabricated and is not sustainable on law or on facts. The petitioner is innocent and likely to get acquitted. All the accused persons…, except the petitioner, have been released on bail. All the accused are facing the common charge under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), read with 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, or, in the alternative, Sections 11 read with 12 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The petitioner is entitled to bail on the grounds of parity.”

Mr. Raja said the trial was proceeding smoothly on a day-to-day basis; over 40 witnesses were examined; more than 1,500 pages of evidence recorded; over 100 case documents exhibited.

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