2G scam: court rejects Raja aide Behura’s bail plea

The bail plea of former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura was today rejected by the special CBI court in New Delhi hearing cases related to the 2G spectrum scam, in view of the ''enormity'' of allegations in the case and the possibility that he might influence witnesses.

''Considering the magnitude of the crime, nature and enormity of the allegations, the character of evidence on record, and the apprehensions that the accused may influence witnesses if he is released on bail, I have no hesitation in holding that accused has failed to make out a case for bail,'' special CBI judge O P Saini said.

''The bail application is without merit and the same is dismissed,'' he added.

In his bail plea, Behura had argued that all decisions relating to the sale of 2G spectrum and licences in 2008 had already been taken by the then telecom minister A Raja (the chief accused in the scam), and A K Srivastava, his predecessor as telecom secretary, before he joined the ministry. He was merely carrying out orders, he claimed.

But the judge was clearly not buying this argument. In a 167-page order, he said, ''I may add that all the material witnesses were at one time subordinates of the accused and the possibility of they being influenced by the accused cannot be ruled out.

''Such possibility is more real in cases where there is or was a relationship of superior and subordinate between the accused and the witnesses and the case is of grave magnitude, like the instant case, which involves financial loss to the state exchequer to the tune of about Rs30,000 crore. Such possibility is not remote, far fetched or imaginary,'' the judge said.