Former telecom minister A Raja, accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, admitted having met corporate lobbyist Niira Radia along with then Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata in connection with work, but categorically denied having any telephonic conversation with her.
“She used to visit me at my residence in connection with work of the Tata Group,” said Raja, deposing as a witness in his own defence before a CBI court.
In July 2013, deposing as a prosecution witness, Radia had told the court that she had a telephonic conversation with Raja about cabinet formation and had meetings with him at his office during November 2008 on behalf of the Tata Group.
The DMK leader also denied any knowledge about the shareholding pattern of Kalaignar TV. Raja said that he had met M Kanimozhi in the capacity of an MP, when she visited his residence in Delhi with other MPs, but denied having any conversation with her and Radia on the issue of putting Kalaignar TV on TataSky’s bouquet.
The CBI has deferred Raja’s cross-examination to Tuesday. He is facing trial in the spectrum allocation case, along with former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and Reliance ADAG executives Gautam Doshi and Surendra Pipara.
{{/usCountry}}The CBI has deferred Raja’s cross-examination to Tuesday. He is facing trial in the spectrum allocation case, along with former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and Reliance ADAG executives Gautam Doshi and Surendra Pipara.
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