2G scam: A Raja, Shahid Balwa's CBI custody extended

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday extended the CBI custody of former telecom minister A Raja and Shahid Usman Balwa, managing director of DB Realty, by three and four days, respectively, in the spectrum allocation scandal.

The order was given by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge OP Saini.

Raja and Balwa were both remanded to four days' CBI custody by the court on Feb 10 to enable the probe agency quiz them to "unearth the conspiracy" in the 2G spectrum scam.

According to the CBI, Balwa's company Swan Telecom (a part of the Mumbai-based DB Realty) allegedly got favours in the spectrum allocation and caused the national exchequer a loss of over Rs 22,000 crore. 

TOI

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Panel on 2G spectrum gives report, names officials for lapses

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The one-man panel that went into the procedures for giving 2G spectrum between 2001 and 2009 is understood to have named former Telecom Minister A Raja and some officials close to him as being responsible for lapses in allocation of licences.
Retired Justice Shivraj Patil, who was appointed in November last year by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal in the wake of CAG report that had found several lapses in 2G spectrum allocation, today submitted the report to the Minister.
"I have identified the officials on whose part there were deficiency or were lapses," he told reporters after submitting the report.
The report is believed to have pointed fingers at public officials, including Raja, and the then Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura and his aide R K Chandolia. But it was not clear whether ministers and officials in earlier regime have also been blamed.
Patil said he has definitely named people in the report. Asked whether by "public officials" he implied the role of Raja, he said he would not like comment on specific names.
"I have definitely... One of the terms of reference is if there are any short comings or lapses or deficiencies in procedures applying or following, who are the public officials responsible they must be identified which is what I have done," he said.
"We have identified. It is for the government, if at all they want to propose action, to take appropriate steps," Justice Patil said.
The one-man committee was set up to look into the policies and procedures followed during the distribution of licences in 2001-2009, a period that includes the NDA regime, and ascertain if they were followed in a transparent manner. .

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Raja returns to Chennai, says he cooperated with CBI

Chennai, Dec 28 (IANS) - Former union communications minister A. Raja Tuesday said he cooperated with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which questioned him on the irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
'I gave full cooperation to CBI and would continue to do so,' Raja said on his arrival here from New Delhi.
However, he declined to give details about his talks with CBI officials during the questioning and whether he was asked to appear before the investigating agency again.
Raja was quizzed by the CBI for over eight-hours Friday, almost two weeks after it raided his premises in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
The DMK's propaganda secretary was again questioned by the CBI for six-hours Saturday.
Raja had to step down last month following allegations that second generation spectrum was sold to telecom companies at below market prices, causing huge losses to the government.
Raja has denied charges of wrongdoing.

IANS

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Ex-CJI was aware of Raja influencing judge: SC Judge

New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) In an embarrassment to former CJI K G Balakrishnan, Supreme Court Judge H L Gokhale today contradicted his claim that he was not aware that it was former Union Telecom Minister A Raja, who had tried to influence a Madras High Court judge in a criminal case.
In a statement, Justice Gokhale, who was the chief justice of the Madras High Court at that time, said that in his letter to Justice Balakrishnan, the then CJI, he had clearly referred to the name of Raja.
Justice Gokhale''s statement totally contradicts Justice Balakrishnan''s claim that there was no mention of any Union Minister in the report sent by Justice Gokhale, then High Court Chief Justice, on Justice S Reghupathi episode.
"I regret to say that the allegations are absolutely incorrect," Balakrishan had said last week referring to news reports that he had suppressed a letter purportedly written by Justice Reghupathi to him when he was Chief Justice of India.
In a statement today, Justice Gokhale said, "The former CJI has stated in his press conference that in my letter I did not mention the name of any Union Minister having talked to Justice Reghupathi over phone to influence him.
"With respect to this statement I may point out that Justice Reghupathi''s letter was already with him and in the second paragraph thereof justice Reghupathi had specifically mentioned the name of Raja.
"I had no personal knowledge about the incident and observations in my reply wherein are in conformity with the contents of Justice Reghupathi''s," Justice Gokhale said. MORE PTI RB ATR AAC VSC

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Court asks government for affidavit on action against Raja

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The Supreme Court Thursday adjourned hearing on the 2G spectrum allotment case and asked the government to file an affidavit detailing the action in response to the application seeking sanction to prosecute A. Raja, who recently quit as telecom minister.

Adjourning the hearing, the apex court bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Ashok Kumar Ganguly said it wanted to “carefully” go through the final report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and compare it with the report of the Director General of Audit (Post and Telegraph).

The bench also asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to file an affidavit giving details of the government’s action in response to Janata Party leader Subramaniam Swamy’s application seeking sanction to launch criminal prosecution proceedings against Raja.

The court direction came after the solicitor general told the court that the government has responded in action to Swamy’s application. The court was told that Swamy had not attached those documents to his petition.

The affidavit on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be filed by an officer.

The court asked Swamy if he had any communication other than one he received from the prime minister in March 2010. Swamy told the court that he received a letter from the former telecom minister answering the application to the prime minister seeking permission to proceed against him.

The court made it clear that Raja’s letter to Swamy had nothing to do with latter’s application to the prime minister for sanction.

While asking the solicitor general to file an affidavit, the court noted that it would take a serious view if any material in the possession of the petitioner was held back from it.

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