Chennai:
A Raja has told NDTV that he has never tried to influence any case, or authorized anyone else to speak on his behalf to judges. (
Watch)
His remarks come after a judge in the Madras High Court suggested that A Raja tried to influence a case that he was hearing. The allegation has led today to the suspension from the Tamil Nadu Bar Council of a senior lawyer, known to be a close associate of Raja.
RK Chandramohan has been dismissed as the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Bar Council. He allegedly tried to influence Justice R Regupathy to grant anticipatory bail to his client - a man named Dr Krishnamurthy and his son - both men were wanted by the CBI for forging mark-sheets.
Justice Regupathy has said that Chandramohan handed him a cellphone and suggested that Raja was on the line. The judge says he returned the mobile without speaking to Raja. The former minister and DMK leader rebuts, "I never authorized anyone including Chandramohan to speak on behalf of myself...or negotiate with judges on my behalf I was not on the line. I am a law-abiding citizen," he said.
Today's judgement which dismisses Chandramohan from the Bar Council refers to a letter by Justice Regupathy written in July 2009 to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
"On 12-6-2009 at about 2 pm during lunch recess while I was in the chamber, HC Madras, my office assistant Mujabur Ali informed me that Mr Chandramohan, Chairman, Bar Council of TN, is waiting and seeking an appointment to meet me...and immediately I allowed him to come in. To start with, he discussed general subjects on advocates. He said that 2 persons, father & son accused in a criminal case are family friends of Union Minister Raja and that the petition filed by them for anticipatory bail must be considered favourably. Simultaneously, he handed over his mobile phone by saying that the Union Minister is on the line to have a talk with me. Right away, I discouraged such conduct of Mr Chandramohnan and told him that the case would be disposed off in accordance with law."
Justice Reghupathy's disclosure is being co-opted by the Opposition which has been demanding that the government set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G scam and nail Raja, whose alleged role in the swindle cost him his job last month as Telecom Minister. "How can a minister have the audacity to contact a judge...and how can these facts be concealed for more than a year ? It is nothing but the interference in the administration of justice by a minister who was in power," said the BJP's Arun Jaitley today.
Raja was forced to quit as Telecom Minister last month after a report by the government's auditor found him guilty of under-valuing 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies who did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licences. Raja is a key leader of the DMK and his party's chief, M Karunanidhi, has defended him staunchly. (
Read: In Raja's defense, Karunanidhi refers to silent movies)
However, the letter sent by Justice Reghupathy clearly states that he did not speak to Raja- and this is what the former minister is using to bolster his defense.