SC ruling today on plea to probe PC role in 2G case

Two other rulings on different aspects of spectrum allocation scam due

The UPA government is waiting with bated breath for the Supreme Court to deliver on Thursday its verdict on a plea seeking a probe against Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi will also pronounce order on the application seeking cancellation of 122 licences granted to some telecom companies during the tenure of then Telecom minister A Raja who continues to be in jail in the case.

The political implications for the Congress-led UPA government would be immense in the event of the verdict pronouncing Chidambaram guilty. The Home Minister, who had volunteered to resign soon after reports of his alleged involvement surfaced, is expected to quit immediately if the ruling goes against him.

Not just this, the pitch in the Opposition outcry for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will rise as the accusations for letting 2G scam happen will be laid at the doors of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The pronouncement of verdicts also on the plea for setting up of a monitoring committee on CBI’s probe in the 2G scam would be made by Justice Singhvi.The special bench, which also comprises Justice A K Ganguly, had reserved its verdict on the role of Chidambaram on October 10 as well as a plea for cancellation of 122 licences on March 17, last year.
As Justice Ganguly would retire Thursday, he would join the bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia, as a custom.

During the hearing, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, had contended that as Union finance minister, Chidambaram was aware of Raja violating rules while awarding 2G spectrum and granting of licences.

They submitted that the decision on pricing of spectrum was taken jointly by Raja and Chidambaram.

Swamy had created a ripple in the UPA government by producing a finance ministry note to the PMO signed by Pranab Mukherjee which stated that the 2G scam could have been averted had Chidambram insisted on auction instead of a first-come-first-served policy on allocation of spectrum.

No direct communication

The government and the CBI had vehemently opposed any probe against Chidambram, maintaining that he was not in direct communication with Raja in determining spectrum prices.

Swamy and Bhushan, on the other hand, maintained that Chidambaram overruled finance ministry officials who wanted allocation of spectrum through auction only.

During the argument, Swamy had said there were documents to show that Raja and Chidambaram met four times over the issue and that there was a meeting of minds in the commission of the offences.

The petitioners had also claimed that Chidambaram had advised Raja that it was legal to dilute the shares by telecom companies after getting licence.

A special court holding the trial of Raja and the other accused persons in the 2G case would also pronounce its order on Saturday on the plea made by Swamy to make Chidambaram as an accused for allegedly conspiring and colluding with Raja to cause huge loss to the government.

According to Swamy, Chidambaram, along with Raja, was empowered by an October 2003 Cabinet decision to discuss and finalise spectrum prices.

Chidambaram had “colluded, conspired and consented with Raja”, and did not call for a Cabinet meeting, although the officers (the finance ministry) had kept Chidambaram apprised of the whole thing, Swamy had argued.

The proceedings in the apex court on Thursday would be keenly watched by the corporates as well since the court would also pronounce its order on the application seeking cancellation of 122 licences owing to alleged illegalities in the process.