The report of the autopsy on the body of Sadiq Batcha, who allegedly committed suicide in Chennai on Wednesday, stated that the death had resulted from asphyxia. Batcha was a close aide of former telecom minister A Raja and one of the prime suspects in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
After the autopsy at the Royapettah Hospital in Chennai, Batcha’s body was taken to Perambalur, where he had met Raja. Batcha was born in Karur district and had started out as a door-to-door salesman, selling mattresses and garments.
Doctors, while confirming that Batcha’s death was due to asphyxia, said the exact cause could not be ascertained till the forensic report was out. “We cannot say now whether it was a suicide or a murder. The report will be ready in two weeks,” said Dekal, the doctor who performed the autopsy. “No injury was found both internally and externally. We have sent the skin for microscopy test.” Dekal said.
Meanwhile, the ruling DMK government said the probe into Batcha’s death would be recommended to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also probing the 2G Scam. Batcha came under CBI’s scanner in December, 2010, in connection with the 2G scam. Investigation on how a company which started with capital of Rs 1 lakh in 2004, earned revenue of over Rs 600 crore in five years, are being carried out. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate were probing Batcha’s role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Judicial custody of Raja, 3 other accused extended
The judicial custody of A Raja and three other accused in the 2G spectrum case was on Thursday extended till March 31 by a Delhi court.
Raja, along with former telecom secretary, Siddharth Behura, Raja’s former personal secretary, R K Chandolia, and Swan telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, are lodged in the Tihar Jail.
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The four were slated to appear before Special CBI Judge O P Saini through video-conferencing. However, due to technical glitches in the video conferencing system linking Tihar Jail and Patiala Court, they were produced before the judge in person.
The judge extended the judicial custody of Raja and three others on a plea by the CBI which contended that the probe into the case was yet to be completed.