Satyam scam: CBI to field 473 witnesses, 1.6 lakh pages

Apart from the 473 witnesses, the investigating agency plans to present evidence running into 1.6 lakh pages in the trial court. The poser for CBI came from an apex court bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma when Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Harin Rawal pleaded for the cancellation of bail of former Satyam Computer Services Limited Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju, his younger brother B. Ramaraju and others.

The CBI moved the apex court challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court order granting bail to Raju, his brother Ramaraju and others.The ASG said that the investigating agency apprehended that both Raju and Ramaraju would influence the witnesses. This would lead to miscarriage of justice, the ASG said.

Making a plea for the cancellation of bail of the two and others, Rawal contended that the trial was about to commence and would be completed within six months' time.Referring to its earlier judgment, the apex court was told by Rawal that the high court misread the apex court ruling on granting bail to an accused.

Raju and other co-accused, including Ramaraju, were accused of fudging accounts and records of the Satyam Computers Services Limited.They were accused of manipulating bank statements, fixed deposit receipts, the liquidity status of the company and other documents relating to its finances.