2G Scam Case: Former Telecom Minister A Raja was accused of giving 2G licenses at throw-away prices
Former Telecom Minister Andimuthu Raja, popularly called
A Raja, got acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case today along with 16 others. The
2G spectrum scam rocked the nation after the national auditor said in its report that there had been massive irregularities in the allocation of second generation or 2G licenses during A Raja's reign as telecom minister. A Raja was accused of allocating airwaves and licenses for cellphone networks in exchange for kickbacks and causing the state a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore, as part of a telecom scandal called "2G scam".
Here are 10 Facts About A Raja, who got acquitted in 2G Spectrum Case:1. Andimuthu Raja, 54, was born in Tamil Nadu and is a leader of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.
2.
A Raja represented the Nilgiris constituency in Tamil Nadu and had been elected to the Lok Sabha four times.
3. A lawyer by profession, A Raja was Minister of State for Rural development from 1996 to 2000, Minister of State, Health and Family Welfare from 2000 to 2004 and a cabinet minister for Environment and Forests from 2004 to 2007. He then took charge of the Telecom Ministry in 2007.
4. A Raja was accused of giving licenses to telecom operators at throw-away prices without a free and fair bidding process, in exchange for kickbacks, causing a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to the government. This case came to be known as "2G scam case" - India's biggest telecom scandal.
5. The CBI had alleged that Rs 200-crore bribe paid by a telecom operator to A Raja was deposited in a TV channel in Chennai that is owned in part by Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
6. Following the 2G case details, political opposition demanded his resignation. He resigned in November 2010.
7. In 2011, A Raja was placed in judicial custody at Tihar Jail for a period 15 months. During his arrest in 2G case, he was backed by his party and its chief Karunanidhi.
8. He was released on bail by the Supreme Court in May 2012 on conditions that he would not visit the the telecommunications department or his home state Tamil Nadu.
9. A Delhi court on December 21, 2017 acquitted him and 16 other accused in the 2G spectrum scam case. The court said there was no evidence available against any of the accused.
10. In his personal life, A Raja is married to MA Parameswari and they have a daughter.