‘Do not disturb’, Raja, Kani are together

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Whenever former telecom minister and 2G scam accused A. Raja of DMK went to the residence of MP and co-accused Kanimozhi, he ordered “not to be disturbed”, star prosecution witness A. Achary told a Delhi court Tuesday.

Achary, former additional private secretary to Raja, said in the court of special CBI judge O.P. Saini: “I have not seen A. Raja visit the house of Kanimozhi on South Avenue. Raja himself told me he was visiting her and need not be disturbed.”

The revelation came during his cross-examination by R.N. Mittal, counsel for DB Realty’s Shahid Balwa, another accused.

In a statement previously recorded by the metropolitan magistrate, Achary had said, “She [Kanimozhi] had frequent visits to the camp office of A. Raja and Raja also used to visit her residence on South Avenue frequently.

She is also very close to A. Raja in regard to political work of DMK. They used to talk over phone frequently.

“I never visited the house of Kanimozhi personally. I gathered Kanimozhi was residing on South Avenue, New Delhi.”

Mr Mittal also questioned Achary on Raja’s meetings with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, to which the witness said he did not know the purpose of her visits to Raja’s office.

Achary said he came to know of Radia when he was under Raja in the ministry of environment and forest between 2004 and 2007.

He, however, said he was not sure how many times and for what purpose she visited the former minister.