The alleged “10 sins” of former communications minister A. Raja were highlighted during the Supreme Court’s crucial hearing on Monday in the 2G spectrum scam case when petitioner NGO Centre for PIL gave a point-by-point rebuttal to the department of telecom’s much publicised affidavit, which had virtually given a clean chit to the DMK leader.
Basing the rebuttals on the report of the telecom auditor, which laid the ground for the CAG to prepare its report, CPIL counsel Prashant Bhusahn said it has clearly emerged form the telecom auditor’s findings that Mr Raja sold the spectrum licences like “cinema tickets” brazenly overruling the opinions of PMO, the finance ministry and the law ministry as all these authorities had suggested that the matter be referred to the group of ministers.
“But this was not the sale of cinema tickers to give the spectrum 2G licences on first come first serve basis,” Mr Bhushan said, quoting from the auditor’s report one irregularity after the other allegedly committed by Mr Raja, who was forced to resign a day before the top court’s important hearing.
In response to a specific query by a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly as to what has happened to the CAG report, Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam said: “I am given the understanding that the CAG has submitted the report to the President, which has to be placed before Parliament.”