New Delhi:
The telecom scam - described as India's biggest swindle and mover and shaker of many political destinies - made a new clatter today. In the Supreme Court, the CBI said that as part of its inquiry, it wants to question BJP leaders Arun Shourie and Jaswant Singh. The agency served some relief to Dayandihi Maran who lost his job as Cabinet minister over his alleged role in the scam; it also suggested that it has evidence against the Ruias, who own Essar.
In its status report in court, the CBI acknowledged that so far, it has not found evidence that Dayanidhi Maran misused his office as Telecom Minister to coerce the owner of Aircel into selling the phone company to an entrepreneur close to Mr Maran. "CBI said they have evidence againt (Dayanidhi) Maran. Now they say there's nothing," said M Karunanidhi, the chief of Mr Maran's the party, the DMK. Mr Karunanidhi's daughter, Kanimozhi, is in jail in connection with the 2G scam.
Mr Maran was
forced to resign as Union Textiles Minister in July after the CBI said it was investigating a complaint against him filed by C Sivasankaran, who owned Aircel till 2006. (
Read: Who is Dayanidhi Maran?) Mr Sivasankaran said that the minister refused to sanction licenses critical to his business. Finally, Mr Sivasankaran succumbed and agreed to sell his company to T Ananda Krishnana, an entrepreneur based in Malaysia. After the transaction, the licences that were pending were sanctioned quickly by Mr Maran. And the minister's brother, Kalanidhi, allegedly received an investment of nearly 800 crores in his Sun Network from Mr Ananda Krishnan. The CBI says it's still determining whether this infusion of equity was a quid-pro-quo. (
Read: Ex-Aircel owner accuses Marans of threatening him)
The CBI has filed two chargesheets so far in the telecom case. Both have focused on telecom licences allocated in 2008 by then minister A Raja for mobile networks and second-generation or 2G spectrum to companies that were allegedly ineligible. Like Mr Raja, the heads of some of these companies are in jail.
The CBI says it's also devoting its attention now to the Essar group. Among the nine companies that got licences in 2008 was Loop - a front for Essar, according to the CBI. Investigators said in court today that by setting up Loop as its "alter ego," Essar was able to circumvent the rule that forbids a telecom operator from owning more than 10% stake in another phone company that provides services in the same area. Essar is owned by the Ruia family; the CBI contends in its report in court today that "The Essar group was holding 100 per cent in Loop through holding companies." The agency says it has studied several bank accounts that point to this; very cheap loans were also allegedly given by Essar to Loop.
The CBI's stand is the diametric opposite of the view of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs which in June this year said it was incorrect that Essar was a closet parent company for Loop when the 2G licences were awarded. (
Read: CBI to seek legal opinion on Essar-Loop links)
Essar has, meanwhile, issued a statement saying it "would like to reiterate that it is and has always been in full compliance with UAS license norms and is fully co-operating with the government authorities".
The 2G scam tore with tsumani-like force into corporate India as well as political parties. That's not likely to slow down. The CBI said today that it may question senior ministers who were involved with telecom policies during the NDA regime before 2004. Jaswant Singh, who served as Finance Minister, and Arun Shourie, who was the Telecom Minister, could be interrogated. In December, the Supreme Court said that because the policies followed by Mr Raja were first introduced by the NDA regime, the CBI should scrutinise the allocation of licenses starting from 2001.
The NDA was voted out in 2004. The UPA came to power with Mr Maran as Telecom Minister; he was replaced in 2007 by Mr Raja.
"We have nothing to hide," said the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, adding that his party will not allow the actions of Mr Raja or Mr Maran to be "swept under the carpet." Mr Shourie added, "I have explained my side of the story earlier as well and I am always ready to answer any query both in the CBI office or any public platform."