Key Raja aide found hanging, 2G Scam Charge Sheet on March 31

Key Raja aide found hanging, 2G Scam Charge Sheet on March 31

Sadiq Batcha, a businessman close to disgraced former communications minister A. Raja, was found hanging at his Chennai home today afternoon. There was no suicide note, and police said the cause of death would be known only after autopsy.

Batcha's body was discovered by his family. His distraught wife and another man rushed him to the Apollo Hospital where he was declared dead.

The death of Batcha, who was not directly linked to the spectrum allocation but was being probed for the money trail in the multi-billion rupee scandal, could be a setback to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The CBI will face problems with (Batcha's) recorded evidences," an official familiar with the probe process told IANS, requesting anonymity.

But CBI spokesperson Dharani Mishra said Batcha's death was "not a major setback". She said Batcha had been "cooperating" with the CBI, and "there was no pressure" on him from the investigators.

Considering his closeness to Raja, who is in jail for allegedly giving away second generation spectrum at below the market prices, Batcha's death spread like wildfire in election-bound Tamil Nadu.

Batcha also hailed from Raja's home town Perambalur in Tamil Nadu.

For someone who once went door to door selling saris, Batcha had a meteoric rise in business apparently after he moved close to Raja. He was the founder of Green Home Promoters, a real estate company.

The Green House Promoters, started with an equity base of Rs.1 lakh in 2004, grew to over a Rs.600 crore revenue company within a short time - an aspect under the CBI scanner.

The CBI had raided the company and his house in December. The CBI questioned him four times between Jan 29 and Feb 24 to know where the huge amounts of money generated in the spectrum saga went.

Raja's wife Parameswari was on the company's board for some time before quitting in 2008 -- the year the spectrum was allocated.

Raja's brother A. Kaliyaperumal and a relative, R.P. Prameshkumar, are still on the company board.

Police immediately questioned Batcha's family members. A police official told the media they were waiting for Batcha's wife to lodge a written complaint -- and then a First Information Report (FIR) would be registered.

It is learnt that Batcha had booked a ticket to go to New Delhi today to appear before the CBI on Thursday. A CBI official denied Batcha had been called for questioning.

"He was a suspect for his indirect involvement (in the spectrum scam)," she said.

One of the petitioners in the spectrum case, Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy asked the CBI to probe Batcha's death. "After all he was under their scanner," Swamy said in New Delhi.

According to Swamy, Batcha was not a "weak hearted" person but a "hard-boiled businessman who used to deal with hawala agents and other clients".

The dramatic development in Chennai came hours after the CBI told the Supreme Court that the main charge sheet in the spectrum scam will be filed on March 31.

The court has asked the government to issue a notification for setting up a special court to exclusively try 2G scam cases.

The court said any attempt by anyone to influence the CBI, the Directorate of Enforcement and the Income Tax department would be viewed seriously. (IANS)