New Delhi: Managing director of real estate giant Unitech, Sanjay Chandra; managing director of Mumbai-based builders DB Realty, Vinod Goenka; and three top executives of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG Group — group MD Gautam Doshi, group president Surendra Pipara and group senior vice president Hari Nair — were sent to judicial custody on Wednesday after a special CBI court refused them bail.
These top businessmen had already been chargesheeted by CBI in the 2G scam case. They were denied bail on CBI’s argument that if let loose, they could tamper with important evidence. Special CBI Judge O P Saini also turned down their plea for an interim bail of seven days for making arrangements to manage their responsibilities. They have now moved bail petitions with the Delhi High Court which will take it up on Thursday.
But on Wednesday, these corporate personalities were taken into custody and moved to Tihar jail to join the other accused in the 2G case, including former telecom minister A Raja, promoter of Swan Telecom Shahid Usman Balwa, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and Raja’s exprivate secretary R K Chandolia.
At a much-anticipated hearing, Supreme Court-appointed special public prosecutor U U Lalit appeared for CBI to oppose the bail plea. The court agreed that Lalit’s argument wasn’t “far-fetched’’. It said: “The bare perusal of the facts of the case and allegations in the chargesheet make it out a case of the highest magnitude and there is enough incriminating material on record against the accused persons. Moreover, in cases of this magnitude involving deeprooted planning in which huge financial loss is caused to the state exchequer, the gravity and the magnitude of the offence is required to be considered.’’
These arrests come at a time when government is fighting off the perception that it’s soft on corruption and can be cited by the Congress in its on-going face-off with the Opposition and sections of civil society. The arrests also coincided with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s letter to Anna Hazare on Wednesday in which she has said, “I believe there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption. You should have no doubt of my commitment in the fight for probity in public life.’’
Appearing before the CBI court, Chandra, Goenka and the three ADAG executives sought bail while promising to follow all the directives of the court and to be present on every hearing.
In its 42-page order,the court trashed the argument of the accuseds’ counsel who said that having failed to arrest them during the investigation and even at the time of filing the chargesheet, the CBI could not now ask the court to remand them to judicial custody.
FROM CELL PHONES TO CELLS
Gautam Doshi,GROUP MD, RELIANCE ADAG Hari Nair, SENIOR VP, RELIANCE ADAG
Surendra Pipara,GROUP PRESIDENT, RELIANCE ADAG
• CHARGES
Structured different companies, prepared false minutes of board meetings of Swan Telecom Vinod Goenka,MD, DB REALTY & DIRECTOR, SWAN TELECOM
Sanjay Chandra MD, UNITECH & UNITECH WIRELESS
• CHARGES
Conspired with Raja and Chandolia to cheat DoT for grant of licences fraudulently. Concealed critical info to avoid rejection
ALREADY IN CUSTODY
Charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using forged document as genuine and under the Prevention of Corruption Act
• A Raja
FORMER TELECOM & IT MINISTER
• Siddhartha Behura
FORMER TELECOM SECY
• Ravindra Chandolia |
RAJA’S PRIVATE SECY
These top businessmen had already been chargesheeted by CBI in the 2G scam case. They were denied bail on CBI’s argument that if let loose, they could tamper with important evidence. Special CBI Judge O P Saini also turned down their plea for an interim bail of seven days for making arrangements to manage their responsibilities. They have now moved bail petitions with the Delhi High Court which will take it up on Thursday.
But on Wednesday, these corporate personalities were taken into custody and moved to Tihar jail to join the other accused in the 2G case, including former telecom minister A Raja, promoter of Swan Telecom Shahid Usman Balwa, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and Raja’s exprivate secretary R K Chandolia.
At a much-anticipated hearing, Supreme Court-appointed special public prosecutor U U Lalit appeared for CBI to oppose the bail plea. The court agreed that Lalit’s argument wasn’t “far-fetched’’. It said: “The bare perusal of the facts of the case and allegations in the chargesheet make it out a case of the highest magnitude and there is enough incriminating material on record against the accused persons. Moreover, in cases of this magnitude involving deeprooted planning in which huge financial loss is caused to the state exchequer, the gravity and the magnitude of the offence is required to be considered.’’
These arrests come at a time when government is fighting off the perception that it’s soft on corruption and can be cited by the Congress in its on-going face-off with the Opposition and sections of civil society. The arrests also coincided with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s letter to Anna Hazare on Wednesday in which she has said, “I believe there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption. You should have no doubt of my commitment in the fight for probity in public life.’’
Appearing before the CBI court, Chandra, Goenka and the three ADAG executives sought bail while promising to follow all the directives of the court and to be present on every hearing.
In its 42-page order,the court trashed the argument of the accuseds’ counsel who said that having failed to arrest them during the investigation and even at the time of filing the chargesheet, the CBI could not now ask the court to remand them to judicial custody.
 |
| Vinod Goenka, Gautam Doshi, Sanjay Chandra and Surendra Pipara at Patiala House court in New Delhi on Wednesday |
Gautam Doshi,GROUP MD, RELIANCE ADAG Hari Nair, SENIOR VP, RELIANCE ADAG
Surendra Pipara,GROUP PRESIDENT, RELIANCE ADAG
• CHARGES
Structured different companies, prepared false minutes of board meetings of Swan Telecom Vinod Goenka,MD, DB REALTY & DIRECTOR, SWAN TELECOM
Sanjay Chandra MD, UNITECH & UNITECH WIRELESS
• CHARGES
Conspired with Raja and Chandolia to cheat DoT for grant of licences fraudulently. Concealed critical info to avoid rejection
ALREADY IN CUSTODY
Charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using forged document as genuine and under the Prevention of Corruption Act
• A Raja
FORMER TELECOM & IT MINISTER
• Siddhartha Behura
FORMER TELECOM SECY
• Ravindra Chandolia |
RAJA’S PRIVATE SECY
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