2G case: Raja seeks Chidambaram's examination as witness

New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) Former Telecom Minister A Raja
Monday told a Delhi court that former Finance Minister and now
Home Minister P Chidambaram, should be summoned and examined
as a witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Appearing for Raja, senior advocate Shushil Kumar told
Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge O P Saini
that the agency should have recorded Chidambaram's statement
regarding a Cabinet meeting in which he had clarified the
issue of dilution of shares.
Raja's counsel submitted that Chidambaram should be asked
whether he gave the advice on the issue of dilution of shares
in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"Call Chidambaram here (in the court) and ask him whether
this meeting took place or not in the presence of the Prime
Minister and you (Chidambaram) gave this advice or not. Call
him and confront him with the minutes of the meeting," he
said.
Regarding the alleged loss incurred by the exchequer, he
said none less than the Prime Minister has said on the floor
of Parliament that there is no loss.
The CBI, in its charge sheet, has said that accused
Shahid Balwa's Swan Telecom and Sanjay Chandra's Unitech
Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd off-loaded their shares to
Dubai-based Etisalat and Norway-based Telenor respectively.
Raja's counsel submitted that the court should use its
power under section 311 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to
summon and examine Chidambaram as a witness.
"In the meeting, the then Finance Minister clarified (the
issue of) dilution of shares. Chadambaram is party to it and I
am not calling him as an accused. The CBI should have recorded
his statement earlier," he said.
"Call Mr Chidambaram under section 311 CrPC and ask
whether this meeting took place," the defence counsel said,
adding that the CBI's case is based on two pillars that Raja
must have auctioned the spectrum and that he showed favour to
two companies who, in turn, earned "windfall" profit by
diluting their shares.