Top court to decide PC ‘fate’ in 2G case today

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The Supreme Court (SC) will decide the fate of Union home minister P. Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum scam Thursday while fixing for delivery of three more crucial judgments in the case.

The cases to be judged include a petition for a CBI probe against Mr Chidambaram for allegedly “fixing” spectrum prices with former communications minister A. Raja at the 2001 level in 2008.

The other two judgments to be delivered by a special bench of justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly are on petitions by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation to cancel 2G licences allotted “illegally” by Mr Raja to private companies and to set up a “monitoring committee” to oversee the remainder of the investigation in the case outside India and the conduct of trial by CBI.

Since Thursday is the last working day for retiring judge Ganguly, delivery of the judgments has become imperative.

The bench had reserved its verdict on October 10, 2011, on a petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy for a CBI probe against Mr Chidambaram.

Mr Swamy alleged Mr Chidambaram was “equally responsible” for keeping the 2G spectrum price — Rs 1,650 crore — at the 2001 level as the decision was taken “jointly” by him as finance minister in UPA-I and Mr Raja as communications minister in 2008.CBI has given a virtual “clean chit” to Mr Chidambaram.