2G scam: Raja, Balwa sent to CBI custody till Feb 14

A Delhi court today sent former communications minister Andimuthu Raja and Shahid Balwa, managing director of DB Realty, to CBI custody till Feb 14 over the 2G spectrum scam.

A Delhi court on Thursday sent former communications minister Andimuthu Raja and Shahid Balwa, managing director of DB Realty, to CBI custody till Feb 14 over the 2G spectrum scam.

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CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) special judge O P Saini, said: "I find merit in the submission of the investigating agency seeking grant for four days CBI custody of both accused. Prayer is allowed."

"Both accused are remanded in police custody till Feb 14 considering the serious nature and facts of the case, further recovery of documents, need for further confrontation of the accused with each other and documents as well as their consequent sustained custodial interrogation."

According to Saini, the CBI said both Raja and Balwa are required to be confronted with each other as well as with various documents to unearth the entire conspiracy.

"Accused Balwa is alleged to be a major beneficiary of the illegal acts of co-accused (Raja) in the grants of Unified Access Service (UAS) licenses. The case of prosecution is that the illegal acts of the accused persons caused huge pecuniary losses to the government to the tune Rs 22,000 crore," he said.

Raja was sent to two days in CBI custody Feb 8 while Balwa was brought to Delhi on Wednesday evening by a CBI team after a Mumbai court granted the agency his two-day transit remand.

He was arrested in Mumbai late Tuesday by a CBI squad.

According to CBI, Balwa's company Swan Telecom (a part of the Mumbai-based DB Realty) allegedly got favours in the spectrum allocation and caused the national exchequer a loss of over Rs 22,000 crore.