New Delhi, March 15: All the four arrested accused in the 2G spectrum scam including former communications minister Andimuthu Raja will now attend proceedings in the case through video-conference from the high-security Tihar Jail.
“Ex-telecom secretary Siddharath Behura and Raja’s former personal secretary R.K. Chandolia are allowed to appear through video conferencing,” Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini said, accepting the duo’s plea after the CBI did not oppose it.
The court had already allowed Raja’s plea on March 1 to appear before it through video conferencing and then Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa’s similar plea Monday.
“The remand proceedings of all four shall be conducted through the facility of video conferencing on March 17, without them having to be brought physically to the court from Tihar Jail,” said the court.
The court, meanwhile has fixed March 18 to hear arguments on Behura’s bail application and de-freezing of his bank accounts.
Behura and Chandolia were arrested along with Raja on Feb 2 while Balwa was taken into custody on Feb 8.
Though the CBI has pegged the loss at Rs.22,000 crore based on the calculations made by the CVC, the CAG, in its report, had projected a presumptive loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore due to the 2G spectrum scam.
—-IANS