Feb. 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the CBI to go after the corporate firms which were beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum scam without being influenced by their status as millionaires.
”We have a large number of persons who think themselves to be the law,” said a bench comprising Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly. “Law must catch them. It should be done with greater expedition. Merely they are in the list of Forbes or they are millionaires does not make any difference.”
Significantly, the bench added that the beneficiaries were also part of the conspiracy and asked the investigating agency to probe their role too. “Mere summoning them for examining may not be sufficient,” the judges said.
The court sought to know from the CBI counsel, Mr K.K. Venugopal, what action the agency planned to take against owners of companies which allegedly appeared to have entered into a criminal conspiracy with those arrested in the case so far.
”We are not directing you (CBI)...,” said the bench. “You must tell us about the criminal conspiracy involving beneficiaries of 2G licences."
The bench also asked the government to set up a special court exclusively to try the spectrum scam case.
The advocate, Mr Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, pointed out that the agencies have not questioned the heads of several companies including Swan technology, controlled by Mr Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group,.
Heeding this, the bench expressed surprised that managing directors were not summoned. “Why CBI has not taken any action in this regard,” the court asked. “Tell us what action you are planning to take.” The apex court said the agency would have a free hand to investigate the matter.