2G case: CBI officer denies false implication of Chandolia

A Central Bureau of Investigation officer, who was part of the probe team investigating the 2G spectrum scam, on Thursday denied in a Delhi court that A Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia was falsely implicated in the case as he had refused to depose against the former telecom minister.

CBI's Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajesh Chahal, who was deposing as a prosecution witness in the case, rejected the suggestions of the defence counsel that Chandolia and other accused were chargesheeted on the basis of "imaginary" facts.

"It is wrong to suggest that charge sheet against R K Chandolia and other accused has been filed against the record and on the basis of imaginary and false facts. It is wrong to suggest that R K Chandolia has been falsely implicated in this case as he did not agree to depose falsely against A Raja, as desired by CBI," Chahal told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

During his cross examination, Chahal said although the accused firm Swan Telecom (P) Ltd had filed its application for grant of 2G spectrum with the Department of Telecommunication before Raja took charge as telecom minister, it cannot be said that there was no conspiracy between the accused.

"It is wrong to suggest that there is no question of any conspiracy in the instant case as the applications of Swan Telecom (P) Ltd were already pending before the joining of A Raja as MOC&IT and could have been disposed of by the previous minister within 30 days of their filing," he said.

He said Swan Telecom, whose promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka are facing trial in the case, had filed its application with the DoT on March 5, 2007 whereas  Raja took charge as Minister of Communication and Information Technology on May 16, 2007.

Raja and Chandolia, along with others, are facing trial in the case for their alleged involvement in the 2G scam.