The CBI filed its second status report on the progress of investigations into the 2G spectrum scam case in the Supreme Court on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s crucial hearing when the agency is expected to explain why it has as yet not questioned former telecom minister A. Raja.
The report was filed after a “voluntary offer” by CBI counsel K.K. Venugopal during the November 25 hearing when the apex court asked why Mr Raja had not been interrogated even when the CAG report was “replete” with various acts of commission and omission allegedly committed by the former minister.
The CBI was also asked why it has not questioned the person who was telecom secretary at the relevant point in time.
Since the CBI was “very sensitive” about explaining the reasons in open court about not examining Mr Raja, the agency’s counsel claimed it had to follow its own “methods” of investigation.
“We will give details in a sealed cover,” Mr Venugopal had told a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly when he “offered” to file a status report after the judges had asked probing questions.
Mr Venugopal, who had even opposed the arguments based on the CAG report, had said that with the kind of media publicity the case was invoking, any comment on the issue was likely to “affect” the investigation and “prejudice” various persons.
The CBI report assumes importance as the case was adjourned at the threshold of arguments when Mr Raja’s role was under intense scrutiny in view of his “indictment” by the CAG for causing a loss of `1.76 crore to the exchequer in the allocation of 2G spectrum licences in 2008 on the basis of 2001 market price.
The CBI is expected to spell out why it had not moved to examine Mr Raja, the former telecom secretary and other top DoT officials.
The CBI is also expected to give further details about the examination of the “Radia tapes“ as its affidavit last week submitted that the process of examining the CD of recorded conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with several politicians, industrialists and “influential” media personalities has not yet been completed.
The apex court has so far refrained from making any comment on the “Radia tapes” as it
has focused the hearing based on the CAG report. Among the former top officials, the CBI has so far only questioned former Trai chief Pradeep Baijal.