Unitech MD seeks bail to be with family during Diwali

Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, arrested for his alleged role in the 2G scam, Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking interim bail to join his family in the festival season.

Chandra, lodged in Tihar Jail since his arrest on April 20, pleaded to the court that in view of the delay in framing of charges by the trial court in the case, he should be granted interim bail till October 12 to perform religious ceremonies with the family.

Appearing for Chandra, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani pleaded before a bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi to hear the matter urgently. The bench agreed to hear his plea tomorrow at 2 PM.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, had alleged that Chandra and his firm were among the beneficiaries of the 2G scam. The CBI had said his firm was given the 2G spectrum licence by former Telecom Minister A Raja despite its ineligibility and that his company was tipped-off about the preponing of cut-off dates for applying for the 2G licence.

The investigating agency has also alleged that after getting the licences, Unitech and co-accused Swan Telecom had sold their equity to foreign companies much before beginning to roll out of their services, thereby making huge profits.

Chandra has already moved the apex court for regular bail refuting CBI allegations against him. The regular bail plea is still pending with the apex court.

In his plea, he had contended that all the decisions regarding the cut-off date and first-come-first-served policy for spectrum allocation was taken by Raja and DoT officials and he cannot be charged with the offence of conspiracy.

In his regular bail plea, he has also asserted that the CBI has failed to make out any prima-facie case against him in the 2G scam as it did not have documentary evidence to support the offences mentioned in the charge sheet against him.

Other accused in the case include Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, Raja's former personal secretary R K Chandolia, DMK-run Kalaignar TV's MD Sharad Kumar, Bollywood filmmaker Karim Morani and Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group's executives Hari Nair, Gautam Doshi and Surendra Pipara.