The CBI on Wednesday arrested the former telecom minister, Mr A. Raja, and the former telecom secretary, Mr Siddartha Behura, on charges of allegedly violating established guidelines and procedures in the allotment of Unified Access Services licences in 2007-08, thus and causing a `1.76 lakh crore loss to the national exchequer.
In Chennai, the arrest of Mr Raja has sent shockwaves across the DMK’s rank and file. Party sources said the arrest has deeply upset the CM, Mr M. Karunanidhi — who closeted himself with senior leaders for hours after the arrest news broke out. The party channel, Kalaignar TV, went off the air. The party has, however, maintained a stony silence.
The AIADMK cadres burst crackers and shouted slogans deploring the state government and Mr Raja.
The CBI also arrested Mr Raja’s private secretary, Mr R.K. Chandolia, a 1984 batch Indian Economic Service officer, in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
Mr Raja’s arrest comes almost two months after he was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet following a parliamentary storm over his continuance in office and with the Supreme Court breathing down the government’s neck.
He resigned after embarrassing details of the CAG’s report of the presumptive `1.76 lakh crore loss to the exchequer became public.
The CBI made the three arrests while these individuals were being questioned. The three had been called to the CBI’s headquarters here at 10 am on Wednesday.
A senior agency official told reporters the arrests were made “on the basis of facts disclosed so far in the investigation regarding their role in the allocation of the letter of intent and resultant UAS licences and spectrum to certain companies ahead of others, in violation of established guidelines and procedures.”
This newspaper had reported on Wednesday that Mr Raja’s arrest by the CBI was imminent. All three were arrested under relevant sections of the IPC, besides being booked under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.