JOIN USCBI cracks down on Raja
Raids were also conducted on the premises of one of Raja’s business partners and four telecom ministry officials who had worked with him.
The agency also searched a Chennai-based private firm, Greenhouse Promoters, a business venture of the minister and his brother.
The raids, monitored by the Supreme Court at 14 places, have yielded “incriminating” documents. “Searches are still going on,” investigating officials said.
The CBI men raided Raja’s home here on Wednesday morning, 24 days after he resigned as telecom minister following the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)’s report alleging irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum licences to private companies.
“The raids are being held at five places and we are searching further. Raids are still on at different locations. It is too early to give an update,” CBI Director A P Singh told newspersons here.
Raids were also conducted at the places of Raja’s personal secretary R K Chandolia, former Department of Telecom (DoT) secretary Siddhartha Behuria, former Telecom Commission member K Sridhar, former DoT Access Service Wing deputy director general A K Srivastava and Greenhouse Promoters Managing Director and Raja’s business partner Sadhick Batcha.
The raids come within days after the CBI informed the apex court that it had transcribed nearly 6,000 telephone calls involving corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, Raja and others who also had discussions on the spectrum allocation.
The central investigating agency probing the 2G scam is looking into serious irregularities in the award of unified access services licences to private companies.
The CBI registered a case on October 21, 2009, against unidentified DoT officials and private persons/firms and others under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI’s initial information is that of “a criminal conspiracy” between some DoT officials and private persons/companies and others to award licences by putting a cap on the number of applicants. This was allegedly against Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommendations.
Another alleged irregularity being probed is Raja’s controversial policy of allocating spectrum in 2007-08 on a first-come-first-serve basis on 2001 rates, without inviting any competitive bidding.