CBI registers 8 more PEs into Radia case

Complying with the Supreme Court’s orders, the CBI on Wednesday registered eight more preliminary enquiries into the tapped conversation of lobbyist Niira Radia. With this, the agency has registered a total of 12 preliminary enquiries (PE) into the Radia tapes case.

The fresh PEs were related to Radia’s intercepted phone calls against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and others in separate cases.

  On Tuesday, the CBI had registered four PEs. One of the enquiries is related to the allotment of iron ore mines in the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand to Tata steel, in which Koda, who is out on bail in a corruption case, and unknown officials in the Jharkhand government have been mentioned as accused.

Former director-general of hydrocarbons V K Sibal, RIL and unidentified persons were named in another PE in connection with investigations into an alleged quid pro quo agreement between Sibal and RIL.

A PE has also been registered in connection with alleged working of touts and middlemen in the aviation sector who worked against Radia. Another PE has also been started against Radia into alleged market manipulation and the hammering of Unitech stocks. Radia and the others named in the PEs could not be contacted. 

Last Saturday, the Supreme Court ordered the CBI to probe into the alleged favours shown to top corporate houses, namely Mukesh Ambani's RIL, his brother Anil Ambani's ADAG group, the Tatas, working of touts, kickbacks in the aviation sector, manipulation of Unitech's stocks and illegal gratification paid to tax officers.