Sadiq Batcha, aide of former Telecom Minister A. Raja, also accused in the 2G scam, allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday, at his residence in Chennai.
"He was brought dead to the Apollo hospital at about 1:30 p.m. The family says he had hanged himself. Police is yet to verify anything. We are investigating," Chennai Police Commissioner T. Rajendran said.
Police have rushed to his house and are conducting enquiries.
When the body of 47-year-old Batcha was taken to the hospital, doctors declared him "brought dead."
Hospital sources said the body would be taken to a government hospital for pos-mortem.
Batcha was the Managing Director of Greenhouse Promoters, a firm under the scanner of the CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate.
The CBI along with the ED had conducted searches at his premises late last year.
Both CBI and ED were probing the possibility of his firms acting as a front for the former minister.
Both the agencies have questioned him earlier in connection with the case.
However, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, who is also the petitioner in the 2G case, voiced his doubts over Batcha committing suicide.
"Murder and suicide will be a part of this case as lot of big people are involved. Their money, career and reputation is at stake. Sadiq was not a weak heart. He was a hard boiled character. I want to be doubly sure on whether its a suicide or not," said Swamy.
Batcha was the Managing Director of Greenhouse Promoters, alleged to be a front company for Raja.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had questioned him in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, and had raided the offices in December last year.
Interestingly, Raja's wife was a director in Greenhouse Promoters.
According to the CBI, Batcha and Raja had floated the company in 2004 to divert the kick backs Raja received in the 2G scam
The CBI was investigating whether Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and Reserve Bank of India guidelines were followed for setting up the foreign arm and subsequent money transfers between the company and its Singapore arm.
Investigating agencies were also looking into how a company that was formed with a capital of Rs 1 lakh in 2004 soared to revenues of over Rs 600 crore in just five years.
Source: EIW NEWS
