In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the NGO — Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) — said that three employees of Reliance had been chargesheeted by the CBI for investing Rs 1,000 crore to create Swan Telecom, a front company but its chairman had not been touched.
“Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) has reportedly claimed that these actions were done without the knowledge of Ambani. If this was true then he should have sacked the three charge-sheeted employees. He would have claimed to be a victim of their actions….Instead, Ambani visits Tihar Jail to meet his three employees and assures them of all legal assistance. This was clearly an attempt to influence them so that they don’t allege his involvement,” the NGO alleged.
‘Abusing position’
It also put Maran, who resigned form Manmohan Singh Cabinet as Textile Minister, in the dock for “abusing his position as telecom minister (in UPA-I) to divert hundreds of telephone lines of BSNL to Sun TV which were ostensibly provided to him for his official use.
The CBI has been investigating this case from September 2007 itself, but no action has been taken and apparently the investigation is still continuing.”
The affidavit has been filed in the court a day after the CBI alleged that Maran coerced Chennai-based Aircel promoter to sell the company to Malaysian firm, which later invested Rs 599 crore in his family run SUN TV.
The NGO also referred to the reports prepared by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Inquiry Commission Justice Shivraj V Patil which adversely commented upon his role in the 2G scam.
“It is to be noted that as minister he prevailed upon the prime minister to take spectrum pricing out of purview of the cabinet which later triggered the 2G scam,” it alleged.
With regard to Baijal’s role, the NGO said he as chairman Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) wrote a personal letter in 2003 to clarify statutory guidelines, prompting issuance of 26 licenses, of which 12 went to Tatas.
Baijal had later joined Niira Radia’s PR firm which had Tatas as one of its major client, the affidavit said.
