After Anil Ambani, Tina too waffles in court; irritates CBI

Following her husband Anil Ambani, Tina Ambani appeared in a Special CBI Court in Delhi as a witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case; and like Anil, the Central Bureau of Investigation claimed that she was ''deliberately withholding facts'', with which the judge agreed saying it was ''adverse'' to the prosecution.

Both the Ambanis were supposed to be prosecution witnesses, but were so vague in their replies that the CBI went so far as to declare Anil a 'hostile' witness.

Special CBI judge O P Saini, hearing the case, said her adverseness sprang from her failure to recall about the companies said to be associates of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, relating to which she had signed the documents.

''In the instant case, there is no previous statement of witness (Tina), nor has she introduced any new fact adverse to the prosecution, but has certainly signed some documents, which have been shown to her.

''As such, her adverseness springs from her not recalling about the companies relating to which she signed the documents,'' Judge Saini said while allowing the CBI to cross-examine Tina.

Her husband was yesterday cross-examined by CBI lawyer after he resiled from his statement made during the probe in February 2011.

During the recording of the statement, Tina said she did ''not have any knowledge'' of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, a key accused in the case, which is alleged to have acted as a front for Ambani's Reliance Communications in order to procure airwaves beyond the permissible limit.