Former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja on Friday opposed in a Delhi court the fresh plea of the Central Bureau of Investigation seeking framing of a charge for criminal breach of trust in the 2G spectrum allocation case against the 17 accused, saying it was an attempt to keep him in jail.
“(The) only purpose (for the CBI move) is to hold them (the accused) in custody till the time they (the CBI) can. Otherwise the case is busted and there is nothing in the application,” senior advocate Sushil Kumar, appearing for the DMK leader, told special CBI judge O.P. Saini.
Terming the CBI’s application as mala fide , Mr. Kumar said Mr. Raja did not commit any offence and it was filed at a “belated” stage as the provision provides for life imprisonment.
Initially, the accused have been charged under provisions, which entail seven years jail as maximum sentence, he said, adding that the CBI has moved the plea as it wanted to keep them in jail.
Mr. Kumar said the roles of Mr. Raja and then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram were identical in the case.
“I am not saying P. Chidambaram is guilty. Both of us are innocent. (The) whole country is saying he (Mr. Chidambaram) is innocent then how I can I be held guilty.
“The documents are self explanatory. All the decisions were taken in public interest and something has gone wrong somewhere and then they (the CBI) needed a scapegoat and made him (Mr. Raja) an accused,” Mr. Kumar said.
Mr. Kumar cited a Supreme Court verdict in a case involving Captain Satish Sharma in which the proceedings under section 409 of the IPC were quashed.
The CBI has sought framing of additional charges against Mr. Raja, his former private secretary R.K. Chandolia and former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura. If convicted, they can face a maximum punishment of life term or imprisonment up to 10 years.
