New Delhi: Tina Ambani, the wife of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group Chairman Anil Ambani, is expected to depose before a Delhi court on Friday in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case as a witness.
Anil Ambani had been declared a hostile witness on Thursday by special public prosecutor UU Lalit after he claimed that he could not recall details on the share transfer from his company to shell companies. While replying to the questioned posed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Ambani also claimed he did not recall anything about board meetings citing the fact that he did not prepare minutes of the meeting.
Sources say that even though Ambani is a CBI witness, but his statements have so far not helped the agency.
However, his lawyer Vijay Agarwal claimed that Ambani was not being hostile. "Anil Ambani was not a hostile witness. When he was cross-examined by the prosecution he merely said he doesn't remember whether it was his statement that had been recorded by the CBI," he said.
The CBI later told the court that it was not dropping Tina Ambani as a prosecution witness as Anil Ambani has not supported its case. "It is true that I had said if Anil Ambani gives all the answers, I will not examine her (Tina). But, the witness (Anil) has not supported the prosecution case and so, I need to cross examine her," Special Public Prosecutor UU Lalit told the court after some of the lawyers for the accused reminded him that he had earlier said Tina may be dropped as witness.
Tina Ambani, who was summoned for August 23 to record her statement, had moved a plea seeking exemption from personal appearance. However, after concluding his deposition on Thursday, Anil Ambani told the court that she would be appearing before it as scheduled.
"Sir, Mrs Tina Ambani will appear tomorrow," Ambani told Special CBI Judge O P Saini when the court took up the plea for hearing.
The court, thereafter, "dismissed as withdrawn" Tina's plea for exemption from appearance. In her plea, Tina Ambani had said that due to "prior commitments" it would not be possible for her to travel to Delhi on August 23.
The CBI had, however, left it to the court to take an appropriate view on the application. During the day, the defence counsel opposed CBI's stand of calling Tina as a witness as the agency had earlier said that it may drop her from the list if Anil Ambani gives proper answers to its questions. Lalit, however, said he needs to cross examine Tina as a witness Anil Ambani has not supported its case.
(With additional information from PTI)
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