BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: Prima facie former A Raja’s close aide Sadiq Batcha may appear to have committed suicide but investigators are said to be probing all angles, especially in view of reports that he was about to turn approver in the 2G spectrum scam case.
Thirty seven-year-old Batcha was found hanging from the ceiling of his home in Chennai yesterday; hours before he was supposedly set to fly to Delhi to present himself for further questioning by the CBI.
Speculation is rife that he may have been under pressure from his family to turn approver and spill the beans about the ill gotten wealth of Raja. He is said to have consulted a fresh set of lawyers recently, who may have asked him to turn approver.
The CBI has on its part said that it had not applied pressure but holds the view that his sudden death is ‘unexpected’ and that the development would not affect the ongoing probe into irregularities committed by Raja in 2008 while selling the 2G spectrum on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Meanwhile, owing to the doubts being raised by the opposition parties, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to hand over the probe into his death to the CBI.
Opposition leaders, including AIADMK chief Jayalalitha, expressed doubts about the circumstances in which Batcha died with the former Chief Minister asking whether it was a “murder or forced suicide.”
Political analyst and a strong critic of the DMK, Tuglaq Editor Cho Ramaswamy said “it could very well be a murder. Perhaps the man knew too much.”
Autopsy today
Batcha was found hanging from the ceiling by his wife and their driver, who then took him to the Apollo Hospital where he was declared brought dead.
The Police later took his body from there to the Government Royapettah Hospital. The postmortem would be conducted Thursday morning.
Its findings are keenly awaited.
Suicide note The suicide note, recovered yesterday evening, starts with an apology for doing so and says he doesn’t hold anyone responsible. It was dated 15/3/2011. Batcha says he ‘was embarrassed by the CBI raid and enquiry’.
“I was embarrassed by raids and media limelight over the 2G spectrum scam. Sadiq Batcha does not blame anyone in his suicide note,” the suicide note said.
In the long letter, written to his family, Batcha wants his wife to stay on in Chennai and educate the kids, wants his sister to be happy. He wants his friend to help his family and wants his brother to marry and settle down. Batcha wants to be reborn and have a nice life.
He also writes that A Raja and his wife are good people and that this crisis should not have come for the minister.
