The CBI has initiated its investigation into the preliminary enquiry (PE) registered to probe criminal aspects, if any, in the allotment of spectrum licences since 2001.
According to sources, the agency is likely to go into the minutes of the meetings held by former telecom ministers, which included late Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie and Dayanidhi Maran. The PE has been registered to ascertain whether or not the provision of “first-come-first-serve” rule for granting spectrum licences was followed by the predecessors of former telecom minister A. Raja, sources said.
The agency is also scrutinising the documents of companies which were awarded licences after 2001, sources added. The agency has already questioned Mr Arun Shourie in this regard, sources said, adding if required he may be called for questioning again.
Meanwhile, the CBI is likely to close its investigations into another PE with regard to loans provided by public sector banks to telecom companies, which were in the race of allotment of unified access services licences The CBI had earlier registered a PE to probe the role of certain officials of the DoT who allegedly signed bank loan papers of some private telecom companies.