NEW DELHI: Former telecom minister A Raja
on Friday said CBI's star witness Aseervatham Achary's statement on
Thursday of being threatened by a person sitting in the courtroom was
"drama" intended to influence the pending bail petition of Raja's former
private secretary and co-accused RK Chandolia which will be heard by
the Supreme Court on January 2.
Delhi Police had said that no "incriminating evidence" was found against Jai Prakash, an employee of Reliance ADAG, who was detained by police on Thursday after Achary alleged that he had received a threat from a person and that person was present in the court while pointing towards Jai Prakash. On Friday, Raja's counsel Sushil Kumar suggested that the theory of threat to Achary and his family was "planned" in "collusion" with the CBI.
Kumar further contended that it was done to "adversely impact" Chandolia's bail plea.
The allegations weer, however, refuted by Achary. "I am not aware if bail application of some of the accused is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court on January 2, 2012. It is incorrect to suggest that I expressed my apprehension of breach of my security to adversely impact that application. It is incorrect to suggest that yesterday's incident was planned by me in collusion with the investigating agency," Achary told special CBI judge O P Saini.
When asked by Raja's counsel why he had not informed the court about the threat earlier, Achary said he thought CBI was "taking care" of it as he had informed the agency about it on September 5. Kumar had asked Achary why he had not informed the judge about the alleged incident of August 20, when a man tried to meet him at his residence on the pretext of being his relative, despite the fact that he had appeared in the court several times since December 13.
"On December 13, when I appeared before this court, I was not aware that I could tell this court about the incident dated August 20, 2011. I thought I would get this liberty only when I would be examined as witness," he said.
Achary said he disclosed the incident on Thursday before the court as he was "shocked and surprised" when his security officer pointed out that the person, who had tried to meet him at his residence on August 20, was present in the courtroom.
He said, "I did not disclose this fact to the court on December 19, when my examination started, as I thought CBI was taking care of that. I did not tell this court about this incident on December 20 and 21 during the days of my cross examination. In the morning yesterday, when my PSO pointed out that the person was sitting with R K Chandolia, I was surprised and shocked by that and decided to disclose about that."
He said he had apprehended threat in April-May, soon after he had recorded his statement with CBI as a witness in the case, and had approached the Union home secretary for security. "I was provided PSO by the police in April-May 2011. I cannot say if there was a threat or not to my life before I was provided the PSO. I applied to the Union home secretary for being provided with security in April-May 2011. I had a perception of threat, but no specific incident warranting any action had occurred before I was provided with the security or thereafter till August 20," he said, adding that he had informed CBI about the incident on the basis of the version of his PSO.
During his cross-examination, Achary said he was looking after Raja's political work in his constituency Perambalur in Tamil Nadu and the former telecom minister was "very protective" of him. "I used to take lunch and breakfast at the residence of Raja occasionally and he was very protective of me, more so, when I was a bachelor," he said, adding that he used to sometimes prepare daily engagements chart for Raja, from which he came to know whom he was going to meet, including politicians and industrialists.
When asked by the defence counsel, Achary said he knew Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and used to visit his home to meet his wife. At which point, the counsel showed him '2G Spectrum Scam' - a book authored by Swamy - and the page in which the name 'Ashirvartham Achari' was mentioned as the "courageous whistle-blower". Achary claimed that he did not know that it referred to him.
His cross-examination remained inconclusive and will resume on January 2.
Delhi Police had said that no "incriminating evidence" was found against Jai Prakash, an employee of Reliance ADAG, who was detained by police on Thursday after Achary alleged that he had received a threat from a person and that person was present in the court while pointing towards Jai Prakash. On Friday, Raja's counsel Sushil Kumar suggested that the theory of threat to Achary and his family was "planned" in "collusion" with the CBI.
Kumar further contended that it was done to "adversely impact" Chandolia's bail plea.
The allegations weer, however, refuted by Achary. "I am not aware if bail application of some of the accused is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court on January 2, 2012. It is incorrect to suggest that I expressed my apprehension of breach of my security to adversely impact that application. It is incorrect to suggest that yesterday's incident was planned by me in collusion with the investigating agency," Achary told special CBI judge O P Saini.
When asked by Raja's counsel why he had not informed the court about the threat earlier, Achary said he thought CBI was "taking care" of it as he had informed the agency about it on September 5. Kumar had asked Achary why he had not informed the judge about the alleged incident of August 20, when a man tried to meet him at his residence on the pretext of being his relative, despite the fact that he had appeared in the court several times since December 13.
"On December 13, when I appeared before this court, I was not aware that I could tell this court about the incident dated August 20, 2011. I thought I would get this liberty only when I would be examined as witness," he said.
Achary said he disclosed the incident on Thursday before the court as he was "shocked and surprised" when his security officer pointed out that the person, who had tried to meet him at his residence on August 20, was present in the courtroom.
He said, "I did not disclose this fact to the court on December 19, when my examination started, as I thought CBI was taking care of that. I did not tell this court about this incident on December 20 and 21 during the days of my cross examination. In the morning yesterday, when my PSO pointed out that the person was sitting with R K Chandolia, I was surprised and shocked by that and decided to disclose about that."
He said he had apprehended threat in April-May, soon after he had recorded his statement with CBI as a witness in the case, and had approached the Union home secretary for security. "I was provided PSO by the police in April-May 2011. I cannot say if there was a threat or not to my life before I was provided the PSO. I applied to the Union home secretary for being provided with security in April-May 2011. I had a perception of threat, but no specific incident warranting any action had occurred before I was provided with the security or thereafter till August 20," he said, adding that he had informed CBI about the incident on the basis of the version of his PSO.
During his cross-examination, Achary said he was looking after Raja's political work in his constituency Perambalur in Tamil Nadu and the former telecom minister was "very protective" of him. "I used to take lunch and breakfast at the residence of Raja occasionally and he was very protective of me, more so, when I was a bachelor," he said, adding that he used to sometimes prepare daily engagements chart for Raja, from which he came to know whom he was going to meet, including politicians and industrialists.
When asked by the defence counsel, Achary said he knew Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and used to visit his home to meet his wife. At which point, the counsel showed him '2G Spectrum Scam' - a book authored by Swamy - and the page in which the name 'Ashirvartham Achari' was mentioned as the "courageous whistle-blower". Achary claimed that he did not know that it referred to him.
His cross-examination remained inconclusive and will resume on January 2.
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