The CBI today told the Supreme Court that the three senior executives of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) under arrest in the 2G scam case "may turn approvers" and lead the agency to the "real beneficiaries".

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, told a special bench of Justice G S Singhvi and Justice AK Ganguly that the three officials have resiled from their earlier statement in which they had taken the "entire" blame upon themselves.

Instead, Venugopal said, they have changed tune drastically in the Delhi High Court to say they were only "employees" and didn't receive any benefits. The three officials, Gautam Doshi (managing director, Reliance ADAG); Surendra Pipara (senior vice-president of ADAG and Reliance Telecom) and Hari Nair (senior vice-president ADAG), have been accused of conspiracy and abetment to cheating in the 2G scam. They are in Tihar Jail.

Venugopal said their change in stand while pleading for bail in the high court could mean that the trio "may turn approvers" and shed light on the real beneficiaries of the Swan Telecom stake sale to Delphi.

"When originally questioned under Section 161 CrPC they took entire responsibility. In the High Court, they said they were only employees and there are persons who are the real beneficiaries. From them (Doshi, Pipara and Nair) we have to find out who the real beneficiaries are... in which case they may turn approvers," Venugopal submitted.

Reacting to the hearing today, Reliance Telecom issued a press statement saying: "None of the three Reliance executives chargesheeted by CBI have at any stage till date expressed any desire to become approvers. The distorted media reporting on this issue is a very serious matter and will be acted upon. It is reiterated neither Reliance Telecom nor the promoters are beneficiaries of any telecom licences issued in January 2008."

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