Twitter
Advertisement

2G scam: Ex-telecom secretary, Swan, ADAG officials charged

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed its first charge sheet in the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday filed its first charge sheet in the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam. Around 80,000 pages, including 128 pages of the operative part of the charge sheet, names nine accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and three telecom companies: Swan Telecom, Reliance (ADAG) and Unitech Wireless have so far been chargesheeted by the probing agency.

“After examining 125 witnesses, we’ve reached the conclusion that this scam has caused a loss of Rs31,000 crore to the national exchequer. The charges are conspiracy, cheating, forgery of documents, abuse of official position, and abetment,” a CBI official said.

“The investigations relating to the issuance of new Unified Access Service License and subsequent allocation of 2G spectrum during 2008-09 has established commission of offences by former telecom minister A Raja and others,” Dharani Mishra, CBI spokesperson, told DNA.

“Also named are the then secretary (telecom) Siddharth Behura, PS (personal secretary to Raja) RK Chandolia, DB group promoters and Swan Telecom directors Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, Reliance ADAG group MD Gautam Doshi, Reliance ADAG senior vice president Hari Nair, and Reliance ADAG and Reliance Telecom senior VP Surendra Pipara,” Dharani Mishra added.

Those not in custody have been summoned to court on April 13.

The CBI claims that Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless were the only two companies ineligible for being allocated spectrum, and that Swan Telecom was acting as a front company for Reliance Telecom for getting 2G spectrum.
According to news reports, a second charge sheet is likely to be filed on April 25.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate had earlier informed the apex court that the case involved large-scale violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act and benami (false name) transactions.

Raja was forced to resign from the Union cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government might have lost up to Rs1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue.

The CBI charge sheet said that Unitech Wireless was the biggest beneficiary in the scam. Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom were the only two companies ineligible for allocation of 2G spectrum, it said. Further, Swan Telecom was acting as a front company for Reliance Telecom for getting 2G spectrum, the charge sheet said.

The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to go after corporate beneficiaries and given a deadline of March 31 to file the charge sheet, which was extended to April 2. The CBI said the supplementary charge sheet will be filed on April 25 and the probe will be completed by May 31.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement