CBI promises to supply Radia transcripts to 2G accused

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Acceding to the plea by 2G scam
accused for the transcripts of corporate lobbyist Niira
Radia's tapped telephonic talks, India's premier investigating
agency CBI Thursday promised a Delhi court to hand it over to
them on July 12.
While the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) agreed
to supply transcripts, Special Judge O P Saini decided to have
an electronic scanner installed in the court premises for
scanning prosecution documents and distributing their copies
among the accused.
ASJ Saini decided to let a defence counsel Vijay
Aggarwal install the scanner at his own cost to expedite the
process of scrutiny of documents so that arguments on framing
of charges in the case could begin from July 15.
Earlier during the day, CBI prosecutor A K Singh told
the court, "We will supply Niira Radia's tapes to the accused
on July 12."
He said the agency would also supply some additional
documents on that day.
CBI's promise came in response to the plea of several
accused who had Wednesday told the court that the probe agency
was not providing them the transcripts of Radia's talks,
despite these having been used as a key prosecution document.
The 2G scam accused pointed out that the CBI has made
Radia a key witness in the case and she, in her statements to
the agency, has repeatedly referred to her tapped telephonic
conversations with various people.

Several 2G case accused raised the demand for the
transcripts as Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, a co-accused in the
case, Wednesday told the court that the CBI should supply
all the documents it has filed along with the charge sheet to
enable them to defend themselves better.
The counsel for other accused also pointed out that
the CBI is withholding from them some of the documents which
they have filed in the court.
The CBI, however, had countered these allegations
saying there are some documents on which they have not relied
upon and that's why the accused were not supplied the copies
of those documents.
The court allowed installation of an electronic
scanner in the court premises on a joint plea by five accused,
including former Telecom Minister A Raja, his former personal
secretary R K Chandolia, Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt
Ltd, its Managing Director Sanjay Chandra and Swan Telecom Pvt
Ltd, who sought expeditious supply of various documents to
them.
"Prayer is allowed. Scanning of documents shall be
completed within two-three days and it shall be done under the
supervision of court staff and investigating officer and
during office hours," Special Judge Saini said, allowing their
plea, which remained unopposed by the CBI.
The court allowed the defence counsel to instal a
scanning machine in the court premises and the scanning work
would begin from Friday.