'Raja could go the Batcha way:' Jayalalithaa

Chennai: Sadiq Batcha, a close business associate of former Telecom Minister A Raja, was found hanging in his home in Chennai on Wednesday.

Here's a statement issued by AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on Batcha's death:

"The death under mysterious circumstances of Sadiq Batcha, a close associate of Andimuthu Raja, who was the main custodian of the former Union Telecom Minister's ill-gotten gains from the infamous 2-G Spectrum scam, does not come as a surprise to people who know the DMK's style of internal justice. Some years ago, we saw Stalin's close associate and known benami, Anna Nagar Ramesh and his entire family "committing suicide". The buzz at that time was that Ramesh's conscience was pricking him and he was contemplating coming clean. Now, it is the turn of Sadiq Batcha!

A similar fate could await other key witnesses in the 2-G Scam investigations, particularly if they are from Tamil Nadu. If the CBI and the Supreme Court of India are really keen on unearthing the whole truth behind this colossal scam, it would be better to keep all such witnesses under CBI or judicial custody till the investigations are over. Further, a protective cover has to be provided to Andimuthu Raja, the main accused in the case. Otherwise he could also go the Sadiq Batcha way. After all, the main objective of the DMK is to keep the CBI from getting closer to the Karunanidhi family members in this case.

In order to hide the whole truth behind the Himalayan 2G Spectrum Scam, another unpardonable crime has been committed.  Is it a case of murder or forced suicide?  This is the issue that has to be ascertained by the CBI. If there is any reluctance on the part of the CBI, then both the Supreme Court and the JPC should step in and issue the necessary directives."