CBI arrests A Raja in 2G scam

NEW DELHI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested former Telecom Minister A Raja in connection with 2G spectrum allotment scam.

Two of his close aides, former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behuria and RK Chandolia were also arrested.

The investigating agency questioned Raja for the fourth time today. He was questioned earlier on December 24 and 25 last year and January 31.

On Tuesday, CBI had also questioned Raja’s brother A Kaliya Perumal. A close aide of Raja was also questioned by the CBI along with his brother.

The Supreme Court has asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit status reports on their investigations into the 2G scam to it by February 10, when the case will come up for hearing.

Earlier this week, a report by a one-man commission, Justice Shivraj Patil, was handed over to new Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal. Justice Patil was asked in December to look into whether officials in the Telecom Ministry had, since 1991, violated government procedures and guidelines for allocating spectrum.

The CBI in its first information report had mentioned the loss as Rs.22, 000 crore based on the findings of Central Vigilance Commission, which had referred the case to it.

Raja was forced to resign from Union Cabinet last year after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (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. (ANI)