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TN government hands over Batcha death case to CBI

March 17, 2011 00:08 IST

With opposition parties in Tamil Nadu raising doubts about the mysterious circumstances of the death of Sadiq Batcha, a key aide of former telecom minister A Raja, the state government on Wednesday decided to transfer his alleged suicide case to the Central Bureau of Intelligence.

Principal Home Secretary K Gnanadesikan said the decision came against the backdrop of Batcha coming under CBI scanner in its ongoing probe into the 2G spectrum scam in which connection Raja has been lodged in jail.

"Batcha was being inquired by CBI. In this backdrop, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to transfer to CBI his suicide for further investigation," he said in a release. He said that based on the complaint by Batcha's wife, Rekha Banu, the police filed a case of suicide.

Opposition leaders, including All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Jayalalithaa, 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 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tuglaq Editor Cho Ramaswamy said, "It could very well be a murder. Perhaps the man knew too much."

Various parties in the state demanded a probe into the death of Batcha.