2G scam: Court warns Niira Radia for evading questions

New Delhi: Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia was today warned by a Delhi court for "evading" questions relating to the 2G spectrum allocation case in which she is considered as a "sensitive" and "important" witness.

"You are a very sensitive witness. Be brief and be specific in your answers," Special CBI Judge O P Saini told her when she was not giving direct answers and was speaking in an inaudible manner.

"You are trying to evade the question. It is a very simple question," the judge said when Radia was evading a question by the CBI prosecutor as to why Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) was granted CDMA licence so late in 2008, three years after it had applied in 2005.

[caption id="attachment_822091" align="alignleft" width="380"] Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, a key prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation scam leaves after appearing at Patiala House court in New Delhi. PTI[/caption]

"Please be a little loud. Don't talk to yourself or to the public prosecutor. Your answers should be audible to me. There are accused persons, defence counsel and other persons who are interested in this case, so you should be audible to them also," the judge said.

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53-year-old Radia, an undergraduate, was told by the judge that she is an intelligent professional and she should answer the questions by first understanding them.

"Please understand the question properly. I have heard from media reports that you are a very intelligent person and you are a professional also, so first understand the question and then answer," the judge said.

The court also asked CBI to be brief and specific in its questions, saying that Radia is a very sensitive witness.

"Witness is very sensitive. Witness is very important also. Please be brief and specific in your questions to her," the court told the CBI prosecutor during the recording of her statement.

PTI