Batcha's death was murder, not suicide: CBI
Last Updated : 01 Jul 2011 01:57:51 PM IST
NEW DELHI: A top CBI official has disclosed that, prima facie, the death of Sadhick Batcha, a close associate of jailed former Telecom Minister A Raja, appears to be a case of murder not suicide as the local Chennai police had claimed. The agency's assumptions are based on the close scrutiny of the 'scene of crime' and other circumstantial evidence collected during investigation.The CBI took over the investigation from the Tamil Nadu police on April 5. Chennai-based CBI officials recently visited the scene of crime and closely examined it to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to his death.Now the agency officials are keenly awaiting the report on the viscera (internal organs) and other chemical analysis to establish their preliminary assumption, especially as the CBI's findings are completely different from the Chennai forensic surgeon Dr V Dekal's postmortem report, which said Batcha had committed suicide and the cause of death was asphyxia.The body of Batcha, a real estate dealer, was found hanging at his Chennai residence on March 17. Since the CBI had questioned him on four occasions on issues relating to the 2G scam case-especially pertaining to investments made by Raja-before his sudden death, it had caused a huge uproar. At the time, the Tamil Nadu government was headed by DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Due to the controversy surrounding Batcha's death and his key financial links with Raja, the Supreme Court monitoring the 2G scam case had directed the CBI to take up the probe into his death. Batcha was a key cog in the 2G scam case and the agency had questioned him four times to find the money trail of Raja's income generated from his alleged wheelingdealings. Batcha's house and offices were also raided. He was also speculated to be turning into the agency's key witness in the case.
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