SC notice to Centre, A. Raja on CBI probe into 2G spectrum
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, September 13, 2010
SC notice to A. Raja on 2G spectrum case
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre, Union Telecom Minister A. Raja, CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department for a response on a plea urging the court to monitor a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the 2008 sale of 2G spectrum licenses.
A bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly sent notices to the Telecom Ministry and Mr. Raja and asked for replies within 10 days.
The bench issued the notices to all these five respondents on the petition filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, CPIL, an NGO, Telecom Watchdog and business journalist Pranjoy Guha Thukurta.
The petitioners challenged the May 25 decision of the Delhi High Court dismissing its plea to monitor the CBI probe into the alleged role of the Union Communications Minister in the sale of 2G spectrum licences in 2008.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for CPIL, alleged that despite having documents showing an alleged nexus between Raja and others, the CBI was not going ahead with the probe in the matter.
The petitioners alleged that the DoT, under the minister ship of Raja, had given away 2G spectrum to 122 operators at a throwaway price of 1,658 crore rupees for pan-India licenses on a first-come-first-served basis in January, 2008.
