Raja constantly misled PM on 2G: CBI
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), looking into the alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation, was informed by the CBI on Tuesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was consistently misled by the then communications minister A. Raja. The investigative agency, sources said, also told the parliamentary panel, headed by senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko, that it has so far found no criminality on part of home minister P. Chidambaram on the issue. The CBI, sources said, also told the panel that it does not see a need to further question Mr Chidambaram on the issue.
Appearing before the parliamentary panel, senior CBI officials, led by chief A.P. Singh, briefed the panel on the progress in the investigation. The CBI is learnt to have told the panel that as per its investigations so far Mr Raja constantly misled the Prime Minister on the issue of allocation of 2G spectrum to telecom operators. The probe agency also said that so far it has not found any criminality in the role of Mr Chidambaram, the then finance minister, on the issue of 2G radiowaves allocation.
As against the presumptive loss of `1.76 lakh crores suggested by the national auditor CAG, the CBI had revised the loss to exchequer from the allegedly improper allotment of spectrum from `22,000 crores to `30,000 crores.
Sources said some panel members questioned the CBI’s “failure” in initiating action against attorney-general G.E. Vahanvati on the issue of allegedly helping Raja in drafting a press release on the advancing of cut-off date for spectrum allocation. Some members, it is learnt, also slammed the agency for the 14-month delay in initiating action into the 2G scam.
Post new comment