Raja's ex-aide falls ill, 2G trial adjourned

The trial on 2G spectrum scam case has been adjourned for the day after CBI's star witness and former telecom minister A Raja's ex-aide Aseervatham Achary complains of illness.

Former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura's lawyer will continue to cross examine Achary on Tuesday, if he is fit enough to come to the court.

A Raja's lawyer Sushil Kumar on Monday completed cross examination of Aseervatham Achary, but failed to make Achary concede that he falsely implicated Raja, or that he decided to become a CBI witness because there was a disproportionate assets complanit againt him.

Sushil Kumar alleged that CBI witness Achary "broke" the story of the 2G scam to the Pioneer newspaper, because Raja had not supported his political ambitions of joining the Congress party. The defence team had also alleged that Achary became a CBI mole in the telecom ministry as early as October 2009, which was months before he was actually called in for questioning by the agency. Achary, however, denied the charges.

Sushil Kumar alleged that CBI witness Achary "broke" the story of the 2G scam to the Pioneer newspaper, because Raja had not supported his political ambitions of joining the Congress party. The defence team had also alleged that Achary became a CBI mole in the telecom ministry as early as October 2009, which was months before he was actually called in for questioning by the agency. Achary, however, denied the charges.

Kumar also told the court that Achary is a 'manufactured' witness, and was only made a witness because the CBI could not find any other way to link Raja to the other accused in the 2G scam. Achary denied the claim, and Kumar concluded his questioning.

The defense lawyer for former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura also questioned Achary.

The trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case resumed on Monday in a Delhi court after a week's break.

Achary who is now the CBI's star witness had earlier testified that Raja was close to four other co-accused - DMK MP Kanimozhi and corporates Sanjay Chandra, Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka.

The day-to-day trial in the special court had to be adjourned for a week due to winter break.

Achary, who is testifying as seventh prosecution witness, has so far stood by his earlier statements made to the CBI indicting Raja and others.

During his cross-examination, Achary, a former Additional Private Secretary of Raja, had created a flutter in the court on December 22 by saying that he was facing threat to his life.

He had told Special Judge OP Saini that a man present in the courtroom was threatening him. The person, identified as Jai Prakash who was working as a peon with Reliance Power in Noida, was detained by the police but released later on after a day-long interrogation.

Raja, however, had told the court that it was a "drama" by Achary and it was "planned" in "collusion" with the CBI to "adversely impact" co-accused RK Chandolia's bail plea, which is slated for hearing in the Supreme Court this month.

(With additional information from PTI)