2G case verdict: NCP hits back at Jaitley

Mumbai, Dec 22 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party's Rajya Sabha Member Majeed Memon on Friday hit out at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his comments after the verdict in the 2G spectrum case was delivered, acquitting all the accused.

Questioning Jaitley's remark that the Congress considered the verdict as "a badge of honour", Memon said: "He is such a senior lawyer and a union minister but is making such irresponsible statements without going into the facts and background of the case."

The renowned criminal lawyer from Mumbai said that the widely publicized 2G case trial concluded on Thursday after a marathon seven-year exercise for the quest of truth undertaken by the Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini.

"It must be remembered that Trial Judge O.P. Saini was selected and named by the Supreme Court, and also the Special Public Prosecutor U.U. Lalit, for conducting the case.

"After his elevation to the apex court, again the same (SC) appointed Anand Grover in his place, in addition to the CBI Special Public Prosecutor. Moreover, the case was also constantly under monitoring of the Supreme Court by value of its importance," Memon said.

Now, the trial court has not only acquitted all the accused of all charges but even passed loud strictures against the performance of the prosecution and CBI charges in the matter, said Memon who represented and continuously appeared for one of the Mumbai-based accused, Vinod Goenka of DB Realties.

"Initially, the orders passed by the Supreme Court before the trial commenced, were on the basis of prima facie charges levelled by the CBI. However now those charges have undergone the test of a full-fledged trial and have been found without merits," Memon said.

Accordingly, "the entire scenario has changed and the interest of justice would require that the order passed prior to the trial be reconsidered", he said, hinting at further action in the matter.

Memon added that initially, the opposition politicians - now part of the ruling coalition - had raised a massive hue and cry over the alleged 2G scam and how the government was duped of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore on various counts, which has now been proved wrong.

Rapping the CBI and its special public prosecutor Anand Grover sharply in the judgment, Special Judge Saini said the quality of prosecution in the 2G cases had "totally deteriorated" and at the fag end had become "directionless".

He also observed that while the CBI launched its case "with great enthusiasm and ardour", at the final stages of the trial, Grover and the regular CBI public prosecutor moved in "two different directions without any coordination".