Spectrum scam accused and former telecom minister A Raja alleged in the CBI special court on Monday that his former additional private secretary Aseervartham Achary was a false witness in the 2G spectrum case. Raja’s lawyer Sushil Kumar said that Achary had stated whatever CBI wanted him to because he was in possession of disproportionate assets. Also, since Raja did not promote Achary’s political career, he is deposing falsely against him, according to Raja’s counsel.
“It is wrong to suggest that CBI made me to accept the statement under my purported statement under the threat of being arrested like R K Chandolia and depose on the same lines,” Achary retorted.
Kumar argued that Achary became a witness when CBI could not find anything to connect Raja with other accused. Former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura’s counsel S P Minocha, who also cross examined Raja’s additional PS, said Achary was only improving upon (adding to) the statements given by him in front of the Metropolitan Magistrate under section 164 CrPC.
Achary told the trial court that his statement was not dictated by the CBI. He said he could not recollect if he had told the CBI that after the appointment of Siddhartha Behura as telecom secretary, a number of people, including Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka and Sanjay Chandra, used to visit the official residence of Raja.
Referring to his association with Janata Party leader Subramaniam Swamy and his book where Achary has been mentioned as a ‘whistle blower’, Kumar asked Achary if he knew the meaning of the word ‘whistle blower’. To this, he replied that the day CBI called and questioned him, he became a whistle blower.
Achary also talked about his conversation with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, saying he did not tell her that he was joining Congress. “But it was in my mind as at that time I was a public servant,” Achary said.
Achary denied defence counsel’s allegation that he spoke to Raja to seek his help in procuring a Congress ticket for the 2009 general election as his party (DMK) was an ally of Congress, and that when he (Raja) declined to help, Achary decided to leave the ministry of communications and IT.