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2G scam: CBI raids Niira Radia, ex-Trai chief, Raja's relatives

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of business lobbyist Niira Radia, former telecom regulatory chief Pradeep Baijal and relatives of former communications minister A Raja over the 2G spectrum row. In a coordinated operation, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials searched the New Delhi homes and offices of Radia, whose intercepted telephonic conversations showed her lobbying for Raja when a new government came in last year. CBI deputy inspector general of police Vinita Thakur said that officials landed up at Radia's Sainik Farms house in south Delhi as well as her plush office on Barakhamba Road in the heart of the city in the morning. "The raids started early today (Wednesday)," Thakur said. "They will continue as long as needed. We hope to give out further details by evening." The residence of Baijal, who retired in 2006 after serving as TRAI chairman for nearly three years, was being also searched. He is currently working with Radia. The allegation against him was that as the chairman of the regulatory body, which recommends various policies to the Government, he had helped some telecom firms. A former IAS officer of 1966 batch, Baijal was the first disinvestment secretary after the ministry was formed. These searches come exactly a week after the December 8 searches at the residence of Raja and his four close associates including his personal secretary R K Chandolia in connection with the scam. 47-year-old Raja was forced to resign as minister on November 14 in the wake of the CAG's report that the rates at which 2G spectrum was allotted resulted in a possible loss to the exchequer to the tune of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Raids were also conducted at the residences of former telecom secretary Siddarth Behura, Chandolia, member Telecom Commission K Sridhar and deputy director general in the department of telecom A K Srivastava. Raja has been maintaining that he was ready for questioning by the CBI any time. 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 Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer. The figure of the loses mentioned in the agency's FIR were based on the findings of Central Vigilance Commission which had referred the case to the CBI. 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 scam.

                                                                                                               
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