The raids carried out by the CBI in connection with the 2G spectrum scam case on Wednesday has indicated that the suspects could have tried to cover their tracks by deleting information from the hard disks before the probe agency could seize them. According to sources, the CBI, in its raids carried out in New Delhi, Tamil Nadu and
Noida (UP), seized 19 hard disks of computers owned by relatives and close associates of the former telecom minister A. Raja in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam. The agency is also expected to make some “very significant arrests” in connection with its probe very soon.
Sources said that the information in majority of the hard-disks had been deleted. “These will now be sent for forensic examination and efforts would be made retrieve the deleted information, as and wherever possible,” said sources. The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at the office and residential premises of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, former chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Pradip Baijal and several Chennai-based companies with which A. Raja and his family members are allegedly linked in connection with 2G spectrum scam. The CBI officials also conducted searches at the residential premises of two alleged hawala operators — Mahesh Jain and Alok Jain — in Delhi. Sources said that the searches were carried out to find out the probable links between the alleged hawala operators and Mr Raja as well as his family members.
The CBI on Thursday also questioned former telecom secretary D.S. Mathur in connection with its probe into the 2G allotment. Sources said that Mr Mathur was questioned by the CBI officials as a witness in the case. They added that Mr Mathur during questioning had revealed that he rejected Mr Raja’s attempts to give licenses to certain telecom operators. “The former telecom secretary also said that he did not entertain Mr Raja’s attempts to provide licenses without coming out with a transparent and equitable policy,” sources said. If required Mr Mathur might be questioned again, sources added.
Sources further said, “A team of the CBI officials, carrying the seized 15 hard-disks, will return to Delhi from Chennai on Friday. They will be immediately sent for forensic examination and also for further retrieval of the deleted information.” They added that the four hard-disks seized during the CBI’s searches in Delhi will also be sent for examination. The agency officials have also decided to gather recent call details of the individuals who were raided on Wednesday.
The CBI officials are also analysing the documents recovered during searches from the residential and office premises of two alleged hawala operators, Mahesh Jain and Alok Jain, in Delhi. Four more hawala operators of Chennai, Mumbai and Pune are also under the scanner of the agency, sources added. The CBI is also taking assistance of officials of the ED of Chennai branch in this regard, sources added.
Meanwhile, CBI may register more FIRs in connection with alleged irregularities in allotment of spectrum licenses by Mr Raja’s predecessors very soon. The agency will soon start questioning of A. Raja and certain other politicians of Tamil Nadu in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum, sources said.