Raja skips CBI call, seeks more time

Putting on a brave face, Raja told a large group of journalists gathered at his guest house that he was not evading the legal process. As per the summons, Raja has to appear before the CBI in New Delhi on Tuesday. 

He said the summons was nothing unusual and “a matter of procedural consequence” after the recent raids by the CBI at his residence, those of his kin and close associates in different parts of Tamil Nadu.

 Raja said he had received a letter from the premier investigating agency “last week” asking for his presence for questioning in the 2G spectrum case.

Pleading personal work and health check-up (for which he was visiting Apollo hospitals Monday morning), Raja said he had replied to the CBI’s letter requesting them to indicate “the next date” he could make available himself for interrogation.

“This (summons) is not strange to me and as a lawyer I know this is a matter of procedure,” Raja insisted.

He also dismissed as “completely rubbish” that he was attempting to evade the legal procedure. “I will not evade any procedure; I will not apply for anticipatory bail as I am not an accused in the case,” he mentioned.

Promising continued cooperation with the CBI in the probe, Raja said he awaited response to his letter. Till Monday evening, it remained unclear if Raja would still take a late night flight to visit Delhi, but his aid told reporters not to disturb him.

Parrying a query on why he twice met Karunanidhi in the last two days, Raja said as a party cadre he met his leader. He also refused to comment on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assertion at Congress plenary on Monday that the guilty in the '2G' spectrum scam will not be spared.

To a query on whether he anticipated the DMK suspending him from the party in the wake of second-level leaders like Stalin and Azahgiri queering the pitch, Raja shot back: “I can’t reply to political questions.”

However, Karunanidhi continued to back the disgraced former minister saying that the CBI summons for questioning was a “routine procedure.”