The unexpected turn of events in the 2G probe, including the mysterious death of Sadhick Batcha, close aide of former Union telecom minister A Raja, will add more pressure on the UPA coalition government ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections. Cutting across political differences, various Opposition parties have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.
“The police are already investigating the matter. They are yet to ascertain if it’s a suicide or not. We definitely want to demand a CBI enquiry. He may have turned approver. There could be foul play in his death,” P Radhakrishnan, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief, told Business Standard.
The Congress publicly refrained from comments but, privately, senior leaders admit Batcha’s death, clubbed with the CBI decision to file a chargesheet against Raja by March-end, will make the campaign of the DMK and the Congress more difficult. A senior leader noted that even as the Congress might refrain from any joint campaign with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, it is likely to bear the burden of the DMK in the coming election as a partner party.
Already the DMK-Congress is going to face a tough contest from the powerful alliance of Jayalalitha’s AIADMK and Vijayakanth’s DMDK. To add to its woes, the new turns related to the 2G scandal will only strengthen the opposition’s position vis-à-vis corruption charges, feels a senior leader of the Congress.
The CPI(M) and MMK, two partner parties in the Jayalalitha’s alliance, didn’t spare much time to fire salvoes at the government over Batcha’s “suicide”. The CPI(M)’s Tamil Nadu state head, G Ramakrishnan, said: "Did he commit suicide or was he killed? We want the CBI to conduct a detailed probe." MMK president M H Jawahirullah said: “People will not believe his death is a suicide.”
The CBI said Batcha’s death would have no effect on their probe in the telecom scam, as “all the evidences have already been recorded”. Added their spokesperson: “There has been no pressure from CBI on Batcha. He was cooperating.”