Former Telecom Minister A Raja will on Friday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation officials for questioning in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum to certain telecom firms.
CBI officials have sent a notice under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code to Raja to appear before it for questioning. Raja was forced to resign last month in the wake of a controversy over his role in the spectrum allocation that has resulted in an estimated loss of at least Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer.
Raja is likely to be questioned on the issue of preponing dates for allocation of spectrum and on the role of his relatives in some of the companies which allegedly acted as a front for certain telecom firms which got spectrum between September 2007 and January 2008.
Raja got the telecom portfolio on May 18, 2007 and again got re-elected as a Member of the 15the Lok Sabha and continued as Telecom Minister from May 31, 2009 till November 14, this year before tendering his resignation.
Raja, who flew to Delhi on Wednesday night from Chennai, had told reporters that he would cooperate with CBI in the probe. "I will appear before the CBI on December 24 at 10 am. I will appear for interrogation," he had said.
The Supreme Court has asked CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to submit status reports on their investigations into the 2G scam to it by February 10, when the case will come up for hearing.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report to Parliament had said that the allocation of 2G spectrum at undervalued prices had resulted in the loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.
The CBI in its FIR had mentioned the loss as Rs 22,000 crore based on the findings of Central Vigilance Commission which had referred the case to it. Corporate lobbyist Niira Radia was earlier this week quizzed by the CBI at her South Delhi farmhouse.
CBI has also questioned former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chief Pradip Baijal, a 1966 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, in connection with the case. The premises of Raja, Baijal and Radia were searched by the CBI earlier this month.
Source: Rediff.com
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
2G scam: Raids won't affect Congress alliance, says Kanimozhi
The DMK today stressed that the raids against some of its closest associates in connection with the 2G scam will not affect its alliance with the Congress. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress supports the DMK government; at the Centre, the DMK provides crucial 16 MPs to the UPA government.
"This (the raids) is a process to show we are clean and DMK is very open to it," said party MP Kanimozhi, whose father, M Karunanidhi, is the chief of the DMK.
On Wednesday, the CBI raided close to 30 places in Tamil Nadu , taking its investigation into the 2G spectrum to the doorstep of the DMK. Among those whose homes and offices were raided was an NGO which enjoys the patronage of Kanimozhi. A Tamil journalist, Kamaraj, who works with a pro-DMK paper named Nakkeeran, was also targeted. The raids extended to various relatives of A Raja, the DMK leader who resigned as Telecom Minister last month after he was indicted for the 2G scam in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
The CBI says that Wednesday's raids were based on leads found during raids at Raja's own homes in Delhi and Tamil Nadu last week.
After the raids, the Congress said that it believed its alliance with the DMK would withstand the pressure of the 2G inquiry that's now circling the DMK's senior-most rung.
We trust our allies, and they trust us, said Janaradhan Dwivedi, Congress General Secretary. But privately, sources say the relationship is fragile and will need to be handled with care.
Raja's resignation as Telecom Minister came after weeks of stubborn resistance even as the CAG report placed him at the centre of the 2G scam, blaming him for costing the government upto Rs. 176 lakh crore in 2008. The charges were grave - that Raja had undervalued spectrum, avoided a public auction, and given 2G licenses to companies who lied or misrepresented information in their applications. The DMK initially resisted pressure from the Congress to keep Raja in office, even as he was faulted in a series of hearings in the Supreme Court.
What may give the Congress some breathing space is that the DMK in some ways is currently the more needy partner. Jayalalithaa has already said that if the DMK splits with the Congress, her AIADMK will be happy to step in. With elections in Tamil Nadu just months away, that's an unhappy picture for the DMK.
Moreover, as the CBI inquiry progresses, the DMK would rather have a friendly government at the Centre than a hostile one.
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"This (the raids) is a process to show we are clean and DMK is very open to it," said party MP Kanimozhi, whose father, M Karunanidhi, is the chief of the DMK.
On Wednesday, the CBI raided close to 30 places in Tamil Nadu , taking its investigation into the 2G spectrum to the doorstep of the DMK. Among those whose homes and offices were raided was an NGO which enjoys the patronage of Kanimozhi. A Tamil journalist, Kamaraj, who works with a pro-DMK paper named Nakkeeran, was also targeted. The raids extended to various relatives of A Raja, the DMK leader who resigned as Telecom Minister last month after he was indicted for the 2G scam in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
The CBI says that Wednesday's raids were based on leads found during raids at Raja's own homes in Delhi and Tamil Nadu last week.
After the raids, the Congress said that it believed its alliance with the DMK would withstand the pressure of the 2G inquiry that's now circling the DMK's senior-most rung.
We trust our allies, and they trust us, said Janaradhan Dwivedi, Congress General Secretary. But privately, sources say the relationship is fragile and will need to be handled with care.
Raja's resignation as Telecom Minister came after weeks of stubborn resistance even as the CAG report placed him at the centre of the 2G scam, blaming him for costing the government upto Rs. 176 lakh crore in 2008. The charges were grave - that Raja had undervalued spectrum, avoided a public auction, and given 2G licenses to companies who lied or misrepresented information in their applications. The DMK initially resisted pressure from the Congress to keep Raja in office, even as he was faulted in a series of hearings in the Supreme Court.
What may give the Congress some breathing space is that the DMK in some ways is currently the more needy partner. Jayalalithaa has already said that if the DMK splits with the Congress, her AIADMK will be happy to step in. With elections in Tamil Nadu just months away, that's an unhappy picture for the DMK.
Moreover, as the CBI inquiry progresses, the DMK would rather have a friendly government at the Centre than a hostile one.
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Saturday, December 11, 2010
2G spectrum scam: A Raja meets Karunanidhi
Following the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) raids at his residences on Wednesday, Former Telecom Minister A Raja is meeting the DMK party chief M Karaunanidhi at his residence in Chennai today.
Earlier, A Raja had said he will cooperate with the CBI to prove his innocence in the wake of the probe agency conducting searches at the DMK leader and his aides' residences in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
"It is a scrutiny. I will fully cooperate with the agency (CBI). Whatever be the procedure, I have to comply with it," said Raja.
On CBI raids at his residence as well as his aides in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, Raja said, "No one is above scrutiny. I am ready for any procedure. If anything is needed by CBI, I will cooperate. That is all I want to say."
On December 8, the CBI had conducted searches at Raja and his aides' residences in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, including the former union minister's native Perambalur district.
They also questioned Raja's key aide Sadiq Basha, besides conducting raids at the residences of the DMK leader's brother and sister at Tiruchirapalli and other relatives in Chennai.
The raids came a day after Raja's name surfaced in connection with an alleged attempt to influence a Madras High Court Judge in a criminal case.
The court had suspended the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Bar Council R K Chandramohan for allegedly attempting to influence the judge by taking Raja's name last year, when he was Union Minister.
Raja had recently quit as Telecom Minister after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) quantified the losses caused in allocation of 2G spectrum at throwaway prices at around Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.
BJP, Left and other Opposition parties are demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue and stalling proceedings in the Parliament.
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Earlier, A Raja had said he will cooperate with the CBI to prove his innocence in the wake of the probe agency conducting searches at the DMK leader and his aides' residences in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
"It is a scrutiny. I will fully cooperate with the agency (CBI). Whatever be the procedure, I have to comply with it," said Raja.
On CBI raids at his residence as well as his aides in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, Raja said, "No one is above scrutiny. I am ready for any procedure. If anything is needed by CBI, I will cooperate. That is all I want to say."
On December 8, the CBI had conducted searches at Raja and his aides' residences in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, including the former union minister's native Perambalur district.
They also questioned Raja's key aide Sadiq Basha, besides conducting raids at the residences of the DMK leader's brother and sister at Tiruchirapalli and other relatives in Chennai.
The raids came a day after Raja's name surfaced in connection with an alleged attempt to influence a Madras High Court Judge in a criminal case.
The court had suspended the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Bar Council R K Chandramohan for allegedly attempting to influence the judge by taking Raja's name last year, when he was Union Minister.
Raja had recently quit as Telecom Minister after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) quantified the losses caused in allocation of 2G spectrum at throwaway prices at around Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.
BJP, Left and other Opposition parties are demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue and stalling proceedings in the Parliament.
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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
2G spectrum scam: CBI raids A Raja's residences
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting raids at the residences of former Telecom Minister A Raja and four officials, including his former personal secretary RK Chandolia, in connection with the 2G scam.
Raids are being conducted at Raja's residences in Delhi and in his constituency Perambulur in Tamil Nadu. A search is on for more evidence and links on the 2G spectrum scam.
Raids are also being carried out at the residences of former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura, member Telecom K Sridhar, Deputy Director General, Department of Telecom, AK Srivastava and Chandolia.
CBI sources say Raja may soon be called in for questioning too.
The Supreme Court, which is hearing various cases related to the 2G scam, had come down heavily on the CBI recently, asking why it had not questioned Raja even though the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) faulted him for under-valuing the 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies that did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licences. The loss - worth Rs. 1.76 lakh crore - constitutes India's largest-ever scam.
The court had asked why officials who would have been in the know, like the former Telecom Secretary, had not been questioned. It also asked Raja why he had overruled the Prime Minister on 2G spectrum.
Raja was forced to quit as Telecom Minister last month after the CAG report found him guilty. He quit just before the Winter Session of Parliament began, but it was not enough for an Opposition baying for the government's blood on the 2G scam. Opposition parties have disrupted the entire session for almost a month now demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) inquiry into the scam.
The government has held out on that demand and today's raids are being looked upon as a sign that concrete action is in fact being taken.
The timings of the raids are also significant politically. Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu in a few months and though Raja's party, the DMK, has so far supported him fully, its bete noir J Jayalalithaa has focussed all her arsenal on the weak link.
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Raids are being conducted at Raja's residences in Delhi and in his constituency Perambulur in Tamil Nadu. A search is on for more evidence and links on the 2G spectrum scam.
Raids are also being carried out at the residences of former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura, member Telecom K Sridhar, Deputy Director General, Department of Telecom, AK Srivastava and Chandolia.
CBI sources say Raja may soon be called in for questioning too.
The Supreme Court, which is hearing various cases related to the 2G scam, had come down heavily on the CBI recently, asking why it had not questioned Raja even though the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) faulted him for under-valuing the 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies that did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licences. The loss - worth Rs. 1.76 lakh crore - constitutes India's largest-ever scam.
The court had asked why officials who would have been in the know, like the former Telecom Secretary, had not been questioned. It also asked Raja why he had overruled the Prime Minister on 2G spectrum.
Raja was forced to quit as Telecom Minister last month after the CAG report found him guilty. He quit just before the Winter Session of Parliament began, but it was not enough for an Opposition baying for the government's blood on the 2G scam. Opposition parties have disrupted the entire session for almost a month now demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) inquiry into the scam.
The government has held out on that demand and today's raids are being looked upon as a sign that concrete action is in fact being taken.
The timings of the raids are also significant politically. Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu in a few months and though Raja's party, the DMK, has so far supported him fully, its bete noir J Jayalalithaa has focussed all her arsenal on the weak link.
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Madras High Court judge accuses Raja of trying to influence him
senior lawyer known to be a close associate of former Telecom Minister A Raja has been suspended from his post in the Tamil Nadu Bar Council for attempting to influence a judge, Justice R Raghupathy.
RK Chandramohan is the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Bar Council. He allegedly tried to influence Justice Raghupathy to grant anticipatory bail to his client - a man named Dr Krishnamurthy and his son - both men were wanted by the CBI for forging mark-sheets.
Last year, the judge stirred a giant controversy when he said in court that a union minister had tried to influence him. Now, today's judgement which dismisses Chandramohan from the Bar Council refers to a letter by Justice Raghupathy written in June 2009. "On 12-6-2009 at about 2 pm during lunch recess while I was in the chamber, HC Madras, my office assistant Mujabur Ali informed me that Mr Chandramohan, Chairman, Bar Council of TN, is waiting and seeking an appointment to meet me...and immediately I allowed him to come in. To start with, he discussed general subjects on advocates. He said that 2 persons, father & son accused in a criminal case are family friends of Union Minister Raja and that the petition filed by them for anticipatory bail must be considered favourably. Simultaneously, he handed over his mobile phone by saying that the Union Minister is on the line to have a talk with me. Right away, I discouraged such conduct of Mr Chandramohnan and told him that the case would be disposed off in accordance with law."
Raja was forced to quit as Telecom Minister last month after a report by the government's auditor found him guilty of under-valuing 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies who did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licenses. Raja is a key leader of the DMK and his party's chief, M Karunanidhi, has defended him staunchly.
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RK Chandramohan is the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Bar Council. He allegedly tried to influence Justice Raghupathy to grant anticipatory bail to his client - a man named Dr Krishnamurthy and his son - both men were wanted by the CBI for forging mark-sheets.
Last year, the judge stirred a giant controversy when he said in court that a union minister had tried to influence him. Now, today's judgement which dismisses Chandramohan from the Bar Council refers to a letter by Justice Raghupathy written in June 2009. "On 12-6-2009 at about 2 pm during lunch recess while I was in the chamber, HC Madras, my office assistant Mujabur Ali informed me that Mr Chandramohan, Chairman, Bar Council of TN, is waiting and seeking an appointment to meet me...and immediately I allowed him to come in. To start with, he discussed general subjects on advocates. He said that 2 persons, father & son accused in a criminal case are family friends of Union Minister Raja and that the petition filed by them for anticipatory bail must be considered favourably. Simultaneously, he handed over his mobile phone by saying that the Union Minister is on the line to have a talk with me. Right away, I discouraged such conduct of Mr Chandramohnan and told him that the case would be disposed off in accordance with law."
Raja was forced to quit as Telecom Minister last month after a report by the government's auditor found him guilty of under-valuing 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies who did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licenses. Raja is a key leader of the DMK and his party's chief, M Karunanidhi, has defended him staunchly.
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