Raja goes to Tihar Jail, to get homecooked food

NEW DELHI - Former communications minister A. Raja, arrested in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam, Thursday headed to Tihar Jail after a Delhi court sent him to 14 days judicial custody.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini, who sent him to judicial custody till March 3 as the investigation agency did not seek any further remand for interrogation, allowed him to have homecooked food, reading glasses and medicines.

Raja’s defence counsel Ramesh Gupta had moved an application that the former minister should be allowed to keep his medicines, reading glasses and books with him in Tihar Jail. He also requested that Raja be allowed to get home-cooked food.

Raja was arrested Feb 2 for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scandal, which caused huge losses to the national exchequer, and remanded him to CBI custody initially for five days.

Raja, a member of the DMK, is alleged to have sold spectrum licences at below market rates, causing a loss of Rs.22,000 crore to the national exchequer, according to the probe agency.

He was asked to resign Nov 14 last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General indicted him in the scam for causing the huge losses.

On Feb 8, his remand was extended for two more days after the agency told the court that he was not cooperating during questioning and was being evasive.

The former minister’s custody was extended by two more days Feb 10 on the CBI’s plea. Thereafter, on Feb 14 (Monday), the court again extended his stay with CBI for three more days.

On Feb 8, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and Raja`s former personal secretary R.K. Chandolia, were also sent to 14 days of judicial custody.