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2G spectrum scam: CBI raids residences of A Raja

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday morning carried out raids at the residences of former telecom minister A Raja in Delhi and Tamil Nadu in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam. The raids are being carried out at the residences of four other telecom officials - former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's personal secretary R K Chandolia, member telecom K Sridhar and DoT deputy director general A K Srivastava. Raja was in the midst of another controversy on Tuesday after a Madras high court judge said that the former telecom minister pressurized him for a favourable order for "family friends" who were facing a CBI case wanted the judge to grant them anticipatory bail. A lawyer was stripped in this regard who took Raja's message to the judge from the post of chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu. Raja was forced to quit as telecom minister on November 14 after a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found him guilty of undervaluing 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies who did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licences. The CAG report said that the exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the allocation of 2G spectrum. Raja on Dec 1 had questioned in the Supreme Court the CAG finding, terming the figure as "mindboggling and speculative". Raja is likely to be called for questioning by the CBI. Meanwhile, Behura, who became telecom secretary on January 1, 2008, was questioned about the licensing procedures. Behura told CBI that licenses were handed over on January 10, 2008 and that the decision had already been taken, a statement he made to Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Tuesday as well. The questioning of Raja comes within days after the CBI informing the Supreme Court that it had transcribed nearly 6,000 telephone calls involving corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, Raja and others during which a purported mention about the allocation of spectrum was also made. Chandolia, who was sent back to his parent department -- Indian Economic Services -- within days of new telecom minister Kapil Sibal taking charge, has been quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the issue of the first-come-first-served basis for the allocation of spectrum in 2008 after the cut off date for receiving applications was advanced by a week from October 1, 2007 to September 25. Chandolia was personal secretary to Raja at the time of the controversial spectrum allocation in 2008. Srivastava was heading the licensing division of the DoT when the licenses were issued. The CBI had registered a case on October 21, 2009 against unknown Department of Telecom officials and private persons and companies for allegedly causing loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the exchequer. The CBI has earlier searched offices of Wireless Planning Cell (WPC), the department responsible for allocating Spectrum, and the office of Deputy Director General (Access Services) of the Telecom Ministry to probe the allegations of connivance of officials with private companies in allocation of Spectrum. It had also conducted searches in eight cities housing headquarters of various telecom firms in connection with its probe into the alleged scam.

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