The CBI on Thursday questioned corporate lobbyist Niira Radia for the third time in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam involving former telecom minister A. Raja. The agency officials questioned Ms Radia for several hours at the agency headquarters. Earlier, she was questioned by the agency on January 25 at the CBI headquarters.
The CBI had recently conducted searches at the office and residential premises of Ms Radia, former chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Pradip Baijal and several Chennai-based companies with which Mr Raja and his family members are allegedly linked in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
According to sources Ms Radia may be questioned again. The agency had earlier registered a case against unknown officials of department of telecommunications (DoT) and unknown private persons, companies and others under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 2G spectrum licences.
Sources said she was asked specific questions about funding of some private telecom companies who were allotted spectrum licences from October 2007 to January 2008. Ms Radia’s role first emerged when the income-tax department recorded her conversations allegedly with Mr Raja, corporate biggies and some scribes when the process of 2G allotment was going on.