CBI maintains case not weak
Even after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)’s recent report purportedly assessing zero loss in 2G spectrum allocation during the tenure of former communications minister A. Raja, the CBI on Wednesday maintained that report of the telecom regulator will not weaken the case.
Sources in the agency said, “The CBI has asked Trai for clarifications after we received their letter informing us that it can’t quantify the losses to the exchequer in the 2G spectrum scam”. The agency has not accepted Trai’s report and its further claim about the zero loss in 2G allocation, sources said, adding the agency has sought further clarifications from the telecom regulator over the issue.
“Trai’s claim about the zero loss will not affect agency’s probe in the 2G spectrum scam. The agency is probing criminal conspiracy in the allotment of UAS licences during A. Raja’s tenure,” sources said. Sources, however, said, “We are surprised by Trai’s stand”.
Following the instructions from the concerned court hearing the scam case about its estimate of the exact loss suffered by the exchequer due to the award of telecom licences in 2007/8 at 2001 rates by the department of telecommunication (DoT), CBI had sought Trai’s help in quantifying it with the help of its pricing method, sources said.
“Now the CBI has asked Trai for clarifications after we received their letter informing us that it can’t quantify the losses. It may be recalled that the DoT had shot down the recommendations of several of its own top officials and of the finance ministry for auctioning the spectrum and licences to procure the best revenues for the exchequer,” sources said.
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