2G: High-profile nature of case not a ground for conviction, says court

New Delhi, December 24- The CBI’s projection of the 2G spectrum allocation matter as a case of “high political corruption” did not impress the special court which held that high-profile nature of a case cannot be used as a ground for holding people guilty without legal evidence.Special CBI judge O P Saini, who acquitted former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the case, said the CBI cannot absolve itself of the burden to prove its case by “piggy riding on the so­called high magnitude” of the case and the media hype.
“The trope of high magnitude of crime does not work at the final stage of the case. At the final stage, legally admissible evidence is required,” the court said in its 1,552-page judgement.The court, while noting the CBI’s submission that it was a case of high political corruption, said that it was unmoved by the nature of the case due to “nil evidence”.
“However, in view of deficient, or I may say nil evidence on record, I find myself unimpressed and unmoved, whatever may be nature of the case,” the judge said.
“High-profile nature of a case cannot be used as a ground for holding people guilty without legal evidence. Lack of commercial prudence in execution of documents cannot be used as a ruse to hold people guilty of corruption,” the court said.