2G case: Goenka says CBI should 'refrain from interfering'

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Swan Telecom director Vinod Goenka, an accused in the 2G case, on Thursday filed an application before a Delhi court seeking a direction to CBI to 'refrain from interfering' with witnesses in a 'suspicious manner' before their deposition in the court.

Advocate Majid Memon, appearing for Goenka, moved the application before Special CBI Judge O. P. Saini in the wake of the statement given by Group president of Reliance ADAG A. N. Sethuraman, a prosecution witness in the case, who had on Wednesday told the court that he was called by CBI to its office two days before the commencement of the trial on November 11.

Memon said it was not fair in the eyes of the law that CBI is calling the witness in the name of refreshing his memory in such a manner.

"Issue necessary order and direction to CBI to refrain from interfering with the witnesses in a suspicious manner before their deposition is recorded," the application said.

During his cross examination, Sethuraman had said that he had objected to the content of his statement recorded by CBI during the investigation in the case in March this year. The court is yet to pass an order on the application.

The defence counsel also sought the court's direction to the mobile service provider to preserve the call detail records of the mobile number used by Sethuraman and the number from which he was called by a CBI officer to come to the agency's office on November 9.

Sethuraman had told the court that when he visited the CBI office on November 9, he had raised objection to his recorded statement and wanted it to be changed which was not allowed.

"I was not satisfied with contents of my statement and I protested to the (CBI) officer to change the content thereof relating to identification of signatures of Hari Nair (a Reliance ADAG official and accused in the case)," he had said.

Sethuraman had told the court that CBI had made more than 10 phone calls on his mobile number on that day to call him to the agency's office.