in the case of the infamous 2G spectrum allocation scam, the prosecution “miserably failed” to prove any charge against former Telecom Minister A Raja, Member of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanithi and their 15 co-accused persons. On Thursday the CBI Special Court acquited them all.
The Court in its verdict mentioned,“I have absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused, made in its well choreographed chargesheet.”
On A Raja, the Court said that there was no material in the record to show that he was the main conspirator in the case. According to the court the records did not have evidence to prove the allegations that the accused persons had fixed the cut-off date and manipulated the first-come first-served policy.
The Court had also pointed at the unclear policies and spectrum allocation guidelines as the contributer to confusion. It remarked that the guidelines were framed in so technical language that even it was difficult even for the Dot officers to understand. . “When the officers of the department themselves do not understand the departmental guidelines and their glossary, how can they blame companies/ others for violation of the same,” remarked the Court.
The case was running in the Special CBI Court under the Supreme Court monitoring since 2012.
In the history of independent India, the 2G scam is rated as the biggest scam related to 2G spectrum allocation that had led to cause a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the national exchequer during the UPA-2 regime. There is accusation that the then Telecom Minister A Raja had manipulated the rules of spectrum allocation to favor some Telecom companies in return of kickbacks. DMK parliament member Kanimozhi, the then telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, and Raja’s private secretary RK Chandolia and some others were alleged to have role with Raja in the act. The alleged spectrum alloation took place in 2008 with smell of corruption.
In a report in 2010 the then Comptrol and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai had mentioned the loss to be the tune of Rs 1.76lakh crore. The report rocked the country. The Congress led UPA government felt the shake and ultimately it lost fell of power in Delhi.
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