2G: Behura's bail reserved, says PM backed policy

New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday
reserved its order on the bail plea of former Telecom
Secretary Siddhartha Behura, an accused in 2G spectrum scam
case, who countered the conspiracy charge against him by
saying he was implementing a policy backed by the Indian Prime
Minister.
Behura said he was only "doing his duty" and following
the orders of Raja, who was appointed for the second term as
Telecom Minister by the Prime Minister in 2009, one year after
Letters of Intent (LoI), were issued.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini reserved the order for
June 3 after detailed arguments when CBI alleged Behura, who
was holding the key post, cannot be let off from the charge of
conspiracy.
Behura's counsel and senior advocate Aman Lekhi
submitted the Prime Minister gave Raja a second term as
Telecom Minister in 2009, one year after the distribution of
Letters of Intent(LoI) and this shows the concurrence on the
policy in the government.
India's premier investigation agency, Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI), however, said Behura, by virtue of
holding the most important post of Secretary, had full
authority to complain to the cabinet if he was not in
agreeement with Raja on any policy.
"As per the service conduct rules, he (Behura) was not
obliged to follow the illegal orders of the minister(Raja),"
CBI said.
The argument was opposed by Behura's counsel, who
asked "in a government, is there anyone more important than
the Prime Minister? There cannot be."