Unitech Ltd Managing Director (MD) Sanjay Chandra, an accused in the 2G spectrum case, today cross-examined a former top telecom official in a Delhi court saying he was the “brain” behind the decisions on the allocation of radio waves.
However, A K Srivastava, a former Deputy Director General (AS) of Department of Telecom (DoT), refuted the allegations put forward by Chandra’s counsel that the non-recording of “dissenting note” by him on the issues relating to the policy for allocation of the spectrum suggested that he was the “brain” behind the entire episode.
“I do not recall ever having recorded a dissenting note on any issue on any file during the period September 2007 to January 2008 regarding policy decision and processing of applications.
“It is wrong to suggest that I was the brain behind all the decisions taken in the DoT during the aforesaid period,” he told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
The statement by the former DoT official was made during his cross examination as a prosecution witness by Chandra’s counsel Rebecca John when she put a question to him as to why he had not recorded any dissenting note on the DoT’s policy decision and processing of applications for the Unified Access Service Licence (UASL).
Srivastava, whose cross examination concluded today, said he did not know if Unitech Group had first attempted to file its applications for UASL to the DoT on September 21, 2007 and had sent intimation to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (NSE) about it on that day itself.
On being asked about the decision regarding the processing of applications received till September 25, 2007, the witness said that he was not a “party” to it and it was taken by Raja.
