On the ground of possible misuse of iPad inside the Tihar Jail premises, the Delhi high court on Friday refused to allow Asif Balwa, the director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and an accused allegedly involved in the 2G spectrum scam case, from using the electronic device.
Justice S. Muralidhar took the decision after going through a detailed note submitted by the Tihar Jail authorities recommending refusal to access iPad to Asif, who is currently lodged in the high security jail.
The court, however, allowed Asif to suggest an alternative device that cannot be used for communication and can only be used as a reading device.
Asif had argued that due to the voluminous documentation filed by the CBI he was unable to keep the copies of the entire chargesheet, either in the jail or in the court. This lack of access to the material alleged to be against me is causing a lot of difficulty in pursuing the case and was against my constitutional right for a free and fair trial. Asif has moved the Delhi HC on Tuesday seeking the intervention of the court to allow him to carry an iPad having digital version of the CBI chargesheet and to use cooler inside the jail at his own expenses.
Meanwhile, in another development, the special CBI judge O.P. Saini reserved its order till June 3 on the bail plea of former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, who is lodged in Tihar Jail.
Appearing before the court, senior lawyer Aman Lekhi, lawyer of Mr Behura said, “He being the secretary of the DoT at that time has only implemented the policy which was already finalised by the Cabinet. Therefore, why should he be made as an accused in the case as he has only performed his duty? He should be released as he is just a small cog in the wheel.”
Opposing the bail of Mr Behura, the CBI prosecutor A. K. Singh, however, said, “Behura didn’t put any checks and balances on Raja’s “misdeeds” during grant of licences though he enjoyed maximum executive powers in the DoT.
The agency added that Mr Behura followed the policy of the minister (Raja) and not the policy of the government.