2G: Accused hope for bail after framing of charges
New Delhi: With a Delhi court on Saturday framing
charges against the accused, including former Telecom Minister
A Raja and others, in 2G spectrum allocation case and deciding
to put them on trial from November 11, the jailed accused
hoped for bail soon.
Majid Memon, the counsel for Swan Telecom promoter Shahid
Usman Balwa, hoped for early bail to his client. He recalled a
Supreme Court observation which stipulated that the accused
should move court for bail only after framing of charges in
the case.
"As far as bail is concerned, in my view the order passed
today is an important milestone in view of what the apex court
had said some months earlier while deciding the bail pleas of
Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar that they can renew their bail
pleas after framing of charges," Memon told reporters outside
the court.
Counsel for Raja's former Private Secretary RK
Chandolia, Vijay Aggarwal, too hoped for early bail to his
client and other accused saying the court should grant bail to
them to enable them prepare a strong case in their defence.
"The court should grant bail to all the accused,"
Aggarwal said, adding the bail pleas of all accused will come
up for hearing on October 24.
Aggarwal also represents another Swan Telecom promoter
Vinod Goenka and directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables
-- Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal.
"Whatever the charges, bail is their right and it should
be given so that the person prepares for trial", he said.
Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, whose public
interest litigation to the Supreme Court led to CBI probe into
the 2G spectrum allocation case, expressed happiness with the
order on charge, saying the same augurs well with an early
conclusion.
"I am quite satisfied with the way the learned judge has
framed the charges. It augurs well for an early conclusion.
Hopefully, in six months, some of them would start getting
convicted. "
On the alleged role of Anil Ambani, Swamy said, "Question
might come as to why Anil Ambani has not been named. Well,
there is no bar stopping the number of accused from getting
expanded."
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for some
corporate houses in the Supreme Court opposing a plea for
cancellation of telecom licences to them, termed the framing
of charges as "moment of truth" for CBI.
"TRAI itself is not accepting any loss of revenue. CBI
has to prove it beyond reasonable doubt," Salve said.
"It is very easy to allege but very difficult to prove.
Now, the moment of truth has come to prove it by way of
documents. Let's see how CBI crosses this bridge and proves
loss of revenue."
On how soon the trial can be expected to begin, Salve
said "there is a procedure by which documents have to be made
available to all the accused. The nature of the case is such
that there is no eye witness in the case and 90 per cent is
the case is by way of documents. So, I think, the trial should
begin within ten days."