2G witness turning hostile?

NEW DELHI, INDIA: A former aide to the jailed former communications minister A. Raja on Tuesday told a special court hearing the 2G case here that he did not remember the project of the companies of Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka to which Raja as the then environment and forests minister gave clearance.

Aseervatham Achary, former additional private secretary of Raja and a key witness of the Central Bureau of Investigation in the 2G case, said this during his cross-examination before Special Judge O.P. Saini. He earlier said that he saw Balwa and Goenka meet Raja in environment and forests ministry over 20 times.

The witness said on Monday that Unitech's Sanjay Chandra, Balwa and Goenka used to meet Raja, when he was environment and forests minister, in connection with clearance required for their real estate projects.

On Tuesday, he claimed that Raja as minister of environment and forests could accept and reject the decision of a committee for giving the nod to projects.

He said the environment committee forwarded its suggestion on giving clearance to projects to the minister and "to the best of my knowledge, the minister could accept or reject the recommendation of the committee".

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, appearing for DMK MP and 2G case co-accused Kanimozhi, asked Achary if he could tell the exact project that was given clearance in favour of the companies of Balwa and Goenka. Achary replied that he had no idea about it.

"I do not remember... that environment clearance was issued to the companies of these two people (Balwa and Goenka)," Achary said.

"I saw Balwa and Goenka approximately more than 20 times in the office of minister of environment and forests," said Achary during cross-examination by Jethmalani.

Achary told the court that appointments for meeting Raja were given by the minister's then private secretary R.K. Chandolia, a co-accused.

In Chandolia's absence, the appointments were given by him, Achary said.

Jethmalani asked Achary who else, besides Balwa and Goenka, used to come to meet Raja in his office.

Achary replied that people from JP Group, DLF, Dalmia Group and people from other companies also visited the office of Raja.

The witness said the day before that Chandra, Balwa and Goenka visited Raja regularly and were also in direct contact with Chandolia. He said people connected with Swan Telecom also met the ex-minister.

According to the government auditor, the 2G scam, allegedly masterminded by Raja, pertained to a biased distribution of mobile airwaves and operating licences, in lieu of kickbacks, to telecom firms that could have cost the treasury up to Rs. 1.76 lakh crore in lost revenue.

The number of individuals accused in the case now stands at 19, while the companies against which charges have been framed add up to six.

Except for Raja and former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, no accused is behind the bars.