2G case: Trial to begin from tomorrow

The much-awaited trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, involving high-profile accused including former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, top corporate honchos and telecom firms, is likely to commence from tomorrow before a Delhi Court.

Top corporate executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) are likely to be first among the over 150 witnesses named by the CBI to be examined by the special court, set up exclusively by the Supreme Court to deal with the 2G case.

The stage was set for the trial of the case on October 22 after Special CBI Judge O P Saini framed charges against all the 17 accused, including three telecom firms, saying there was sufficient prima facie evidence against all of them. The CBI, in its first list of witnesses submitted before the court for summoning them, had named Group President of Reliance A N Sethuraman, Assistant Vice President of Reliance Capital Ltd Anand Subramaniam and Chief Regulatory Officer of Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd Vinod Kumar Budhiraja for their examination as prosecution witnesses tomorrow.

In the first list, the CBI has named 28 persons to be examined as prosecution witnesses before the court in the month of November. Of this 11 witnesses are from Reliance which suggest that the agency wants to deal first with the charges against accused firms Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) and Shahid Usman Balwa promoted Swan Telecom.