CBI set to file FIR against DoT officials who signed loans
The CBI is set to register an FIR to probe the role of certain officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) who allegedly signed bank loan papers of some private telecom companies, who were in the race of 2G allotment, in connection with its probe into the allocation of unified access service licences.
According to sources the agency will also book certain officials of the public sector banks in this connection. There are reports that the agency has already registered a “preliminary enquiry” in this regard. However, CBI officials did not confirm it.
Sources said, “The FIR will be registered against DoT officials by the Bank Security and Frauds Cell (BS&FC) of the CBI. The cell would investigate DoT officials who signed on the loan applications of telecom companies to secure loans from public sector banks.”
“There are reports that public sector banks provided more than `26,000 crore in loans to five telecom companies involved in the 2G spectrum scam. Loan applications of these companies were signed by some DoT officials.” The value of the licence shown on loan papers of certain companies was reportedly very low, sources said. The probe would reveal who were the DoT officials who signed such loan papers, sources said adding if required top representatives of certain banks will also be questioned by the agency in this regard.
In December last year, the Supreme Court had come down heavily on public sector banks for their role in the 2G spectrum scam. A two-judge bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly had said that massive amounts were lent by some public sector banks to the 2G licences and it must be investigated.
The court also questioned how did public sector banks continued to disburse loans to telecom companies even after the CBI registered an FIR in connection with the 2G scam and searched the premises of the telecom companies in October 2009.
The CBI had earlier registered a case against unknown officials of DoT and unknown private persons, companies and others under different sections of Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with alleged irregularities in the allotment of 2G spectrum licenses.
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