2G scam: CBI gets Raja’s custody for three more days

Agencies

New Delhi, 14 February 2011: A court here on Monday extended the CBI remand of former telecom minister A Raja and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa in connection with the 2G spectrum scam. The CBI court at Patiala House extended Raja’s remand by three days, while that of Balwa by four days.

 

The CBI, during the hearing today, had asked the court to extend Raja’s custody by two days while that of Balwa by four days.
Both Raja and Balwa had been remanded to four-day CBI custody on February 10, which expired today. The two are under arrest for their alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allotment scam.

 

The two were made to face each other and answer questions relating to the grant of licence and undue favours extended to the Swan Telecom during 2008. The Supreme Court had earlier asked the government to constitute a special court to deal exclusively with the 2G spectrum scam.

 

The CBI told the apex court that it would file the first chargesheet in 2G scam against Raja and others under Prevention of Corruption Act for cheating and forgery by March 31.

 

The apex court said it favours a CBI investigation that also covers culpability of beneficiaries of the scam, as they are part of a larger conspiracy.

 

In its remand application, the CBI had earlier said 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.

 

It also said Balwa allegedly conspired with private companies to sell to a Gulf firm at a huge profit the 2G spectrum licences Swan Telecom acquired at a cheap rate. Balwa was the fourth high profile person arrested in connection with the scam.

 

The others arrested in connection with the case are A Raja, his personal secretary RK Chandolia and former telecom secretary Siddharth Behuria.

 

Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs 1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue.