Indian Executives Vouch for Rajat K. Gupta in Court Rajat K. Gupta, the former McKinsey head and Goldman Sachs director, is relying on character witnesses from India to testify on his behalf in the Galleon Group insider trading case. Mr. Gupta, who is accused of securities fraud and conspiracy for allegedly leaking secrets about Goldman Sachs, changed his legal strategy unexpectedly over the weekend. He originally planned to testify on his own behalf. Instead, on Monday, Anil Sood, a World Bank official and graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, told the jury: "I have always observed since my childhood days that Rajat is straightforward, direct, truthful and inspires trust," Reuters reported. I have seen him consistently demonstrate these values. Ashok Alexander, 58, director of the Indian office for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a graduate of Delhi University and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad also testified Monday, saying he considers Gupta "to be a friend, but also a mentor and occasional coach," Reuters reported. The praise, and the strategy, seem to echo a Web site, Friends of Rajat, that was set up in recent months. Some of India's most prominent businessmen, including billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, offer testimonials to Mr. Gupta's character on the website. Until this weekend, Mr. Gupta was expected to testify in his own defense. In a letter filed with the Federal District Court on Sunday, Mr. Gupta's lawyer said: "We have the spent the last day reviewing what we believe we need to present in the defense case," Dealbook reported. Dealbook's analysis: