2G scam: CBI claims witness deliberately suppressing facts to save Shahid Balwa

The CBI today alleged in a Delhi court that a retired bank official was "deliberately supressing" facts about his conversation with Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa to save him from punishment in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

The agency said Sanat Kumar Aggarwal, who is a prosecution witness, is supressing facts about his conversation with Balwa on November 9, 2007 regarding the likely date of distribution of letter of intents (LoIs) for 2G licences by the Department of Telecom (DoT).

The prosecutor said Aggarwal, who retired as deputy general manager of Punjab National Bank, Mumbai branch, had recorded his statement with CBI during the probe into the case that Balwa, who is one of the main accused in the scam, had spoken to him on November 9, 2007 about the likely date of distribution of LoIs.

However, during the trial, the former banker said he did not remember if he had given such a statement, which prompted the CBI counsel to accuse him of resiling from his earlier statement.

CBI prosecutor AK Singh then sought the permission of Special Judge OP Saini to cross examine Aggarwal who said he was not supressing facts to save Balwa from legal punishment.

"It is wrong to suggest that I am deliberately suppressing the fact of my conversation with Shahid Usman Balwa on November 9, 2007 and November 13, 2007. It is wrong to suggest that I am doing so in order to save him (Balwa) from legal punishment," Aggarwal said.

The prosecutor also confronted Aggarwal with his statement made before CBI earlier in which it was mentioned that Balwa had spoken to him on November 9, 2007.

Aggarwal, however, said "I do not remember the name of the official of the company who had spoken to me on November 9, 2007 regarding likely date of distribution of LoIs."