The criminal trial of Galleon hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam on charges of insider trading was postponed to March 8 from Feb. 28, a US judge ordered yesterday.

The one-sentence order by US District Court Judge Richard Holwell in New York postponing the start of one of the closely watched insider-trading trials did not provide a reason.

Two people who were briefed on the eight-day postponement said it was for attorney scheduling reasons. A court official in the US District Court said federal prosecutors requested the postponement.

One-time billionaire Rajaratnam, 53, was arrested and charged with conspiracy and securities fraud in October 2009 in a sprawling case US prosecutors describe as the biggest probe of insider trading in the $1.9 trillion hedge fund industry.