2G accused resent as court pleads not guilty on their behalf

When charge is framed,judge first explains to accused about evidence of their role in various offences.

While ordering the trial of the 2G spectrum allocation case accused from November 11,a Delhi court today went on to plead “not guilty and claim trial” on behalf of them,triggering their strong resentment for taking the unusual step which had to be retracted.

When charge is framed in a case,the judge first explains to the accused about its finding of various prima facie evidence of their role in various offences and then he asks them “do you plead guilty?.”

To this customary question,the accused responds either saying “No,I do not plead guilty and claim trial” or “I do plead guilty.”

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But Special Judge O P Saini,gauging the mood of various accused,who wanted time to study the court’s order on framing of charges against them before pleading guilty or otherwise,proceeded to answer those customary questions on behalf of the accused in negative and saying they wanted to be put on trial.

When the hard copies of the order were handed over to the 17 accused,they found the question,which was to be put to them,had already been answered as “I plead not guilty and claim trial.”

This triggered strong resentment among accused who contended the page of the order,which already shows them as having answered the customary question,has to be replaced by another page with they themselves actually answer the questions under their own signatures.

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