Satyam counsel to object to SEBI interrogation method

04 February 2009

Market regulator SEBI, which yesterday received permission to interrogate Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju and his brother sent a team of officials to Chenchalguda jail. The team arrived at the Chanchalguda jail in the morning today and submitted a copy of the apex court order to the jail authorities.

Meanwhile, the counsel for Raju, and his brother Rama Raju, S Bharath Kumar, said in Hyderabad today that he will raise objections to the manner in which the brothers are being interrogated by the SEBI at the Chenchalguda central prison.

He said he would raise objections after getting a copy of the Supreme Court order. He said that the Raju brothers have no legal assistance in prison and additionally they do not have any records to project their version of the issue. He added that the confined jail atmosphere is not conducive to making voluntary statements.

He said they would question the validity of statements made under confinement and expressed confidence that the apex court would issue necessary orders to rectify the defects in the interrogation if convinced of the merits of his arguments.

He said he had been unsuccessfully seeking a meeting with SEBI  regional general manager Sunil Kumar at the central prison. 

Meanwhile, a five-member SEBI team arrived at the central prison earlier today but declined to speak to the media. The superintendent of Chanchalguda prison has been directed by the supreme court to allow Sebi officials to question the brothers for three days till 6 February.