Pressure mounted on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a firm decision on communications and information technology minister A. Raja with the Supreme Court on Monday issuing notice to Mr Raja in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
After hearing three petitions filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) and others, a Supreme Court division bench comprising Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly asked the Union government and Mr Raja to reply within 10 days to petitions alleging a `70,000-crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 2008. The apex court wanted to know how the CBI did not know against whom investigations were on despite continuing the process for several months and despite having filed an FIR against certain unknown telecom ministry officials.
With a Cabinet reshuffle likely to take place, a section in the Congress wants the Prime Minister to drop the telecommunications minister as the government could be put in an embarrassing situation on the issue. Efforts are on to persuade DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi to replace Mr Raja.
CPIL’s lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, argued before the court that the investigation related to the alleged criminal conspiracy between certain public servants and private persons for grant of licences, including certain middlemen, and a consultant, Nira Radia.
The petitioners submitted the transcript of an alleged conversation between Mr Raja and Radia to substantiate their charges of a nexus that allegedly influenced granting of licences.