2G case: Don't create unfriendly conditions, judge tells Raja

Special CBI court, holding trial in 2G spectrum allocation scam case, today took strong exception to former Telecom Minister A Raja's refusal to cross examine a witness and asked all the accused not to "create unfriendly conditions" in the court.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who had yesterday allowed Raja's plea to defer cross-examination of a key CBI witness, got annoyed when the DMK MP again pleaded that the proceedings be deferred as he does not want to cross examine G S Grover, then Member (services) of Department of Telecom (DoT), at this stage.

"This witness (Grover) has not said anything big. You can cross examine him today after one hour or after the lunch. I do not want to create any scene in the court... I do not want people outside to think that this court is not working," the judge said after Raja's counsel Manu Sharma refused to cross examine Grover.

Raja's counsel, however, insisted that he would not cross examine the witness as he is not prepared for it.

Later, the judge again asked Raja if he would cross examine the witness but the DMK MP replied that his lawyer has already said they are not prepared for it.

The judge completed the recording of statement of Grover and told all the accused that they should honour something which they said before the court.

The judge said this after CBI prosecutor A K Singh said that accused "suddenly stopped" the cross examination of key witness A K Srivastava, a former Deputy Director General (AS) of the DoT, which "forced" him to call other witnesses in between.

"Please do not create unfriendly conditions in the court. As the prosecutor is saying, if you (accused) have requested something from the court, please honour it," the judge said.

ALSO READ

Sikhs protest near Parliament House against acquittal of Sajjan Kumar in riots case

A K Antony to commission MiG-29 K fighter planes into Navy

Parliament adjourned till noon amid uproar

Strike disrupts normal life in Kashmir Valley