Shourie: Let Raja turn approver

Feb 26, 2011 |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Former communications minister Arun Shourie on Friday said A. Raja, arrested over the 2G spectrum scam, should turn “approver” and spill the beans about the beneficiaries of this scam.

Mr Shourie, who had served in the NDA government, said this while being questioned by the CBI on possible criminal aspects, if any, in the allotment of spectrum licences since 2001. Mr Shourie was questioned along with then telecom secretary Vinod Vaish for almost three hours.
The CBI also questioned former Tata Teleservices CEO Anil Sardana and Loop Telecom CEO Sandip Basu in connection with its 2G probe. A high-ranking official of ministry of company affairs was also called in to discuss the merger of several telecom companies.
Mr Shourie told reporters later that he had cited several instances to investigating officers of alleged irregularities during Mr Dayanidhi Maran’s tenure as minister, before Mr Raja took over in 2007. “What are the charges against Mr Raja? Giving 122 licences when there is no spectrum with the government. But it was in Maran’s tenure that one sentence was put into the guidelines that there shall be no cap on the number of operators in a circle,” he pointed out.
Mr Shourie also submitted a 50-page note to the CBI on various 2G issues and said he was ready to appear again if called by the agency.

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