Niira Radia talks about Sharad Pawar to CBI

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Union minister Sharad Pawar’s name has cropped up in a statement corporate lobbyist Niira Radia has made to CBI in the 2G scam in which she has claimed without evidence that he was controlling the controversial DB Realty group, whose telecom company Swan has been charge sheeted in the case.

In her statement as witness in the case, she has, however, said that she did not have any documentary or other evidence to back her allegation against the Maratha strongman.

"I state that as per the general perception in Mumbai as well as outside DB. Realty directly or indirectly controlled by Pawar and his family members," she said adding that Swan telecom promoter Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, MD of DB. Realty are the key persons in the firm.

However, Pawar reacted sharply trashing Radia's claim saying "I have no financial interest in this company. DB Realty and that telecom company I have no relations at all. I have no financial, not one 'naya paisa' interest in that company."

Radia, in her statement, had also said that Pawar who might have pursued the matter with Raja for getting UAS licence and dual technology to Swan as well as to Anil Ambani Reliance Communications.

She also told CBI that her company had given 10 percent sweat equity to former Trai chairman Pradeep Baijal.

Meanwhile, Vaishnavi Corporate Communications Pvt Ltd headed by Radia, on Thursday issued a statement on reports relating to her testimony to CBI.

"Corporates with vested interest are circulating statements related to an ongoing trial, unverified transcripts, white papers, and other documents with questionable authenticity.

"The whole exercise quite clearly is to divert attention from real issues. For the record, it is stated that right context of the conversation can be established only when the statement is looked at in totality," the release said.

Another key prosecution witness, attorney general G.E. Vahanvati has testified before the CBI that the allegations against Swan Telecom first cropped up in 2005 and he had then opined that the matter did not require to be referred to the ministry of corporate affairs (MOCA).

"I had been instructed to appear in WP (Civil) No. 7185 of 2008 filed by Dr Arvind Gupta in the Delhi high court. In January 2005, the petitioner (Gupta) filed a rejoinder in which he made allegation about Swan Telecom for the first time," Vahanvati, the then solicitor general, has told CBI.