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DB Realty man admits Associated Hotels link
A DB Realty official on Friday admitted before a city court that Associated Hotels (P) Ltd, to which 2G spectrum case accused A Raja’s former private secretary RK Chandolia had rented his property, was linked to his firm.
Deposing as the eighth prosecution witness, DB Realty vice-president (regulatory) Vijender Kumar Sharma said he was not aware if Associated Hotels was linked to DB Realty. Earlier, during his cross examination by CBI prosecutor, he had said the firm was a group company of DB Realty.
The prosecutor submitted before Special CBI Judge OP Saini that Sharma be declared a hostile witness, having retracted his earlier statement.
Sharma, however, later told the court, “I could not tell this fact (regarding the association of the firms) earlier due to inadvertence. I could not understand the question. As per my knowledge, the statement given by me to the CBI investigating officer is correct. The relationship between DB Realty and Associated Hotels is the same today as it was on March 24, 2011, when I gave my statement.”
Sharma said he had handed over a copy of the March 3, 2009, agreement - executed between Chandolia and Associated Hotels - to the CBI on March 24, 2011, along with details of cheques issued for rent between March 3, 2009, and March 2, 2011, after which his statement was recorded. However, he said he did not know who Associated Hotels’ shareholders and directors were or whether any were common to both companies.
Sharma told the court that accused Vinod Goenka was chairman of DB Realty on September 1, 2009. He added that accused Shahid Usman Balwa was managing director but resigned from the post on March 24, 2011.
The witness explained that he was looking after DB’s regulatory affairs and deals in matters concerning the Ministries of Environment & Forests, Civil Aviation and others.
Sharma added that he had also worked in Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd from November 2008 to August 2009. “I am not aware if money had come from Etisalat Mauritius and Genex Exim to Swan Telecom during my tenure. It is correct that because money came from Etisalat Mauritius, the name of Swan was changed to Etisalat DB Telecom (P) Ltd,” he said.
Sharma said Goenka took care of the realty business while he was with Swan.
A DB Realty official on Friday admitted before a city court that Associated Hotels (P) Ltd, to which 2G spectrum case accused A Raja’s former private secretary RK Chandolia had rented his property, was linked to his firm.
Deposing as the eighth prosecution witness, DB Realty vice-president (regulatory) Vijender Kumar Sharma said he was not aware if Associated Hotels was linked to DB Realty. Earlier, during his cross examination by CBI prosecutor, he had said the firm was a group company of DB Realty.
The prosecutor submitted before Special CBI Judge OP Saini that Sharma be declared a hostile witness, having retracted his earlier statement.
Sharma, however, later told the court, “I could not tell this fact (regarding the association of the firms) earlier due to inadvertence. I could not understand the question. As per my knowledge, the statement given by me to the CBI investigating officer is correct. The relationship between DB Realty and Associated Hotels is the same today as it was on March 24, 2011, when I gave my statement.”
Sharma said he had handed over a copy of the March 3, 2009, agreement - executed between Chandolia and Associated Hotels - to the CBI on March 24, 2011, along with details of cheques issued for rent between March 3, 2009, and March 2, 2011, after which his statement was recorded. However, he said he did not know who Associated Hotels’ shareholders and directors were or whether any were common to both companies.
Sharma told the court that accused Vinod Goenka was chairman of DB Realty on September 1, 2009. He added that accused Shahid Usman Balwa was managing director but resigned from the post on March 24, 2011.
The witness explained that he was looking after DB’s regulatory affairs and deals in matters concerning the Ministries of Environment & Forests, Civil Aviation and others.
Sharma added that he had also worked in Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd from November 2008 to August 2009. “I am not aware if money had come from Etisalat Mauritius and Genex Exim to Swan Telecom during my tenure. It is correct that because money came from Etisalat Mauritius, the name of Swan was changed to Etisalat DB Telecom (P) Ltd,” he said.
Sharma said Goenka took care of the realty business while he was with Swan.
