Satyamgate: Raju gives specimen signatures

Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju and four others today were produced before the XIV additional chief metropolitan magistrate for providing specimen signatures. The CBI in its petition said that verification of signatures and handwriting was necessary as 'the most of the documents appeared to be fabricated'.

Satyam former managing director B Ramaraju, former chief financial officer Srinivas Vadlamani and Price Waterhouse auditors S Gopalakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri also submitted samples of their signatures.

According to the CBI counsel B Ravindranath, the CBI has taken about 50 signature samples in presence of the defence counsel from each of the accused in the Rs 7,800-crore financial scandal at Satyam.

These signatures would be analysed by the multi-disciplinary investigation team of the CBI, which is spearheading the investigation. They would also be examined by the government examiner of questioned documents if need arises. However, they did not provide any handwriting samples contending that the most of the official communication and documents of Satyam are computer-printed on which the signatures have been affixed. "There is no question (doubt) about the writing on the file notes.''

Raju and his aides put ten signatures on each paper and signed five such sheets. "At least 50 samples are needed to prove disputed signatures. We will study the flow, strokes, pressure applied, curves and angles and other traits of the characters,'' the CBI counsel told Business Standard. They were presented before the court around 11.30 am and the entire exercise lasted for more than 30 minutes and they were shifted back to Chanchalguda jail with a posse of policemen guarding them.

Even though they shared the bench where the accused stand, Raju brothers and Vadlamani did not seem to have anything to talk to each other.