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A Delhi court on Thursday has extended the CBI custody remand of former Telecom Minister, Mr A. Raja, in the 2G spectrum case by four more days.
The court also remanded to CBI custody Mr Shahid Usman Balwa, a Director of Swan Telecom as claimed by the CBI, till February 14, after noting that he is alleged to be a major beneficiary of the illegal acts of Mr Raja in the grant of 2G licences.
The CBI alleges that Swan Telecom is one of the companies which were favoured by Mr Raja in the process of granting 2G licences and allocation of spectrum in 2007-08. The CBI said, “It has also come to light that there is a transaction of about Rs 214 crore from Cineyug Films to Kalaignar TV in 2009. Kalaignar TV belongs to Mr Sharad Kumar and others who are closely associated with Mr Raja. The funds were arranged by Cineyug Films from DB Group companies wherein the family members of Mr Shahid Balwa are the directors/shareholders.”
In his nine-page order, the Special CBI Judge, Mr O.P. Saini said, “Considering the serious nature and facts of the case, further recovery of the documents, the need for further confrontation of the accused with each other and documents as well as their consequent sustained interrogation, I find merit in the submission of the investigating agency seeking grant of four days police custody remand of both accused.”
Mr Balwa was arrested from his residence in Mumbai on Tuesday and was brought to Delhi on Wednesday on a transit remand. The CBI claimed Mr Balwa was evasive during interrogation and was not answering properly on questions regarding the shareholding in Swan Telecom. It also alleged that he was hiding certain facts. The CBI said extending the police remand of Mr Raja was required as his custodial interrogation could not be completed, adding that his answers were evasive.
The lawyers of both the accused submitted that there is no fresh ground brought on record by the CBI for justifying police custody remand and that police custody remand may lead to third-degree method being used by the CBI and confession being extorted from them. They said there was no need for any further police custody as no purpose would be served by that.
Mr Balwa's counsel said he was being targeted unfairly and unnecessarily as other licencees have neither been interrogated nor arrested.
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