Raja to be grilled today; aides may turn approver

Ending days of anticipation, former telecom minister A Raja will finally appear for questioning before the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

According to a report, Raja's aides R K Chandolia and A K Srivastava may turn approver against him. Former telecom secretary DS Mathur has already deposed as a witness in the case.

''I will appear before the CBI on 24 December at 10 am .... I will appear for interrogation,'' Raja told newspersons soon after his arrival in the Capital from Chennai on Wednesday night. ''I made the request for (appearance on) 24 December, and they (the CBI) have accepted it.''

Raja's close associate and corporate lobbyist Nira Radia has already been interrogated twice by the CBI. Raja will be grilled on the exact nature of his association with her.

The CBI had also raided the premises of Raja's associate Sadiq Bacha. He is the managing director of Green House Promoters - a company where Raja's wife was a director before she resigned in mysterious circumstances.

CBI is likely to ask the tainted minister questions on whether companies like Green House, Equaas and GenX Exim were used as front companies by him to bring in bribe money.