Favourites allotted 2G spectrum: CBI

The allegation that second-generation mobile telephony spectrum was allocated to a few favourites of former telecom minister A Raja and his associates was clear from the CBI probe which showed that Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa obliged one of them by taking his property on rent at an exorbitant rate, the CBI has said.

The agency said Raja's personal secretary RK Chandolia, an accused in the case, had rented a south Delhi house to one of the companies of Balwa at a monthly rent of Rs63,000.

"Investigation has also disclosed that accused RK Chandolia rented his residential property C-6/39, second floor, Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi to M/S Associated Hotels Pvt Ltd (a sister concern of M/S D B Realty Ltd) on March 3, 2009 on a monthly rent of Rs63,000," the charge sheet in the case filed in a special court said yesterday.

In order to favour Balwa, Chandolia had threatened several senior telecom ministry officials to ensure grant of spectrum to Swan Telecom which was ineligible for it, the CBI said.

The CBI probe revealed that Chandolia put pressure on officials to allocate spectrum licence to Swan Telecom in preference to Tata Teleservices Ltd which, as per the department of telecommunication policy, was the preferred firm for allocation of spectrum in Delhi.