2G spectrum trial to be held in Tihar jail court

The 2G spectrum scam trial will be shifted to the Tihar jail court complex from Thursday, special court judge O P Saini announced on Tuesday.

The trial, involving politicians including former telecommunications minister A Raja, is currently being held at the Patiala House courts complex in the national capital. According to Saini, the move to shift the trial to Tihar jail follows an order of the Delhi high court.

The high court had received requests and applications from many lawyers seeking a larger court room for the trial. The court then decided to shift the trial to Tihar jail, said Saini. Incidentally, all 14 accused persons are being detained at the jail.

But the defence lawyers are opposed to the move and said it would inconvenience everyone. Lawyers attending other cases at Patiala House or at the high court would find it inconvenient to travel all the way to Tihar jail, they said. Many lawyers also have their chambers close to Patiala House. They also referred to the difficulties of getting an entry into the high-security jail complex.

Some of the lawyers are now planning to challenge the order in the high court or the Supreme court.

The 26 / 11 trial of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was held in Mumbai's Arthur road jail last year. Similarly, the 1993 Bombay serial blasts trial was also held in the prison. The authorities had cited the security threat to Kasab while deciding to set up a make-shift trial court within the jail premise.

Kasab also continued to remain in the high-security Arthur Road jail when his plea against the trial court order, sentencing him to death, was heard in the Bombay high court. The court quizzed Kasab through video cameras and he was not moved out of the jail.

Video conference court hearings are becoming common, both in India and abroad, as notorious criminals and terrorists are not moved out of jails.