Sebi gets SC nod to grill Raju brothers

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today secured the Supreme Court's nod to interrogate Satyam Computer founder Ramalinga Raju and his brother Rama Raju for three days from tomorrow in connection with the accounting fraud in the firm.A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan directed the Superintendent of Chanchalguda central prison to allow Sebi's investigating officer Sunil Kumar to question the Raju brothers.The Supreme Court today also said that Kumar will intimate the jail authorities in advance as to who will be accompanying him for the interrogation of the Raju brothers.Sebi would be probing if there was any insider trading angle to the fraud since Raju had disclosed falsifying profits for years -- which would have helped inflate share prices.Arguing on behalf of Sebi, Solicitor General G E Vahanvati claimed interrogation and recording of statement was necessary to verify facts as documents were going out of the country.He clarified that the regulator was not seeking custody of the Rajus, but only permission to quiz them.