In its charge sheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on 2nd February 2012.
2G is short for second-generation cellular technology. Second-generation 2G cellular networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991.
Our Correspondent / NEW DELHI
All accused has been acquitted in the much publicised Rs 30,984 core 2G scam. Former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi were today acquitted by a special court in Delhi in the 2G spectrum scam case. 15 other accused in the case and three companies were also acquitted. Those acquitted in the case include former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja’s erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and others. Special CBI Judge O P Saini pronounced the judgement in the 2G scam which had rocked the UPA government.
In its charge sheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on 2nd February 2012.
What has happened so far in infamous 2G case
1) Special CBI court acquitted all accused in the 2G case
2) Prosecution ‘failed to prove charges beyond reasonable doubt’: Court
3) It was a scam of lies by Opposition: Kapil Sibal
4) Congress trains its guns on ex-CAG Vinod Rai
5) Verdict not a clean chit to the Congress: FM Arun Jaitley
6) Former PM Manmohan Singh said the verdict shows it “was a massive propaganda against the UPA”
All the accused facing trial in these cases had denied allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED. The court had in October 2011 framed charges against them under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using as genuine fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking bribe.
2G verdict proves propaganda against UPA was baseless: Manmohan Singh
Special Judge O P Saini also acquitted A Raja and Kanimozhi and 17 other in the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case relating to the 2G scam. In its charge sheet, the ED had also named DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal as an accused in the case in which it had alleged that Rs 200 crore was paid by Swan Telecom (P) Ltd (STPL) promoters to DMK-run Kalaignar TV.
In its final report, the ED had named 10 individuals and nine companies as accused and listed them in the charge sheet for the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose PIL CBI probe was ordered in the case said the Govt should appeal in high court against today’s acquittals.