2G trial shifts to Tihar, defence to challenge order

India’s biggest corruption case — 2G-spectrum scam — will now be tried in a courtroom in high security Tihar Jail of the capital. Trial to begin fron Nov 24Other Jail Trials

India’s biggest corruption case — 2G-spectrum scam — will now be tried in a courtroom in high security Tihar Jail of the capital.

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The Delhi high court on Tuesday shifted the trial of the case — involving 14 high profile accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi — from Patiala House courts situated in Central Delhi to the prison complex in West Delhi without assigning any reason.

As Special CBI Judge OP Saini, who is exclusively trying the case, announced that the trial venue was being shifted from November 24 as per a Delhi HC order, the accused and their lawyers were taken aback.

Defence lawyers, including those for Raja and Kanimozhi protested the decision to shift the trial venue and said they will move the Delhi HC on Wednesday against it.

They said it would be inconvenient for them to appear in a court at Tihar jail, 16 Km away from Patiala House, the Delhi HC and the SC situated close to each other and frequented by them everyday.

Terming the decision as “totally unwarranted”, Sushil Kumar and Aman Lekhi, lawyers for Raja and Siddharth Behura respectively said the defence lawyers should have been consulted before such a decision was taken.

Accused Asif Balwa’s counsel Vijay Agarwal said: "We were unhappy with the facilities in the present courtroom as it was congested and wanted a change but we did not expect that the trial will be shifted to such an isolated location. Our other commitments will be affected.”

Bail verdict today

The decision comes a day before pronouncement of verdict by the SC on bail applications of three Reliance ADAG officials Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara, Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) MD Sanjay Chandra and Swan Telecom director Vinod Goenka.