New Delhi: In a decision, CBI Court today, acquitted Former telecom minister A Raja, M Kanimozhi and 15 others accused of charges in what was described as India’s biggest telecom scandal, the “2G scam“. Mr Raja had been accused of allocating airwaves and licenses for cellphone networks in exchange for kickbacks and causing the state a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. The case became the centerpiece of allegations of egregious corruption on then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh‘s watch. The court said that there was no evidence available against any of the accused. The verdict was delayed as hundreds of supporters of A Raja from his hometown Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu tried to enter the court, causing security problems.
This verdict can be seen as a shot in the arm for congress. This was one of the issue which cost congress, loss of 2014 general elections badly.
Here are the top 10 updates in the 2G scam case verdict:
1. According to Mr Raja’s lawyer, the judge just read out the operative part: “I have no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the charges and all the accused are acquitted of the charges.” A Raja was in tears, said witnesses. Kanimozhi told “Justice has prevailed.”
2. The Supreme Court earlier had cancelled all the licenses Mr Raja had issued.The “2G” trial began in 2011, a year after the national auditor said in its report that there had been massive irregularities in the allocation of second generation or 2G licences when Mr Raja was minister.
3. In a 2010 report, the national auditor had said that in 2007-2008, second generation or 2G licences had been given to telecom operators at throwaway prices instead of allocation through a free and fair bidding process.
4. Mr Raja had denied that he accepted bribes from telecoms in 2007-2008 to issue them out-of-turn licenses at below-market prices. Second-generation or 2G airwaves were bundled with the licenses at no extra cost.
5. Named along with Mr Raja in the scandal were the promoters and top executives of some of India’s best-known telecoms including the one owned by Anil Ambani’s conglomerate.
6. Mr Raja, who is from the Tamil Nadu regional party the DMK, was arrested in 2011 and spent nearly one year in prison before getting bail.
7. The CBI had alleged that a 200-crore bribe paid by a telecom to Mr Raja was deposited in a TV channel in Chennai that is owned in part by Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Final arguments in the case finished in April this year. The verdict was expected on November 7, but the judge said he needed more time to write up his decision.
8. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited M Karunanidhi at his home in Chennai in a surprise move. The timing was crucial. Political parties have been speculating whether the house call was intended to signal that the DMK is not a pariah for the BJP, which has been exploring avenues to expand its slim presence in Tamil Nadu.
9. The 2G scam was among the major corruption scandals that came to light during the second term of Dr Manmohan Singh’s coalition government. It became a key constituent of the image of the administration as one seeped in systemic graft.
10. The same judge earlier this year acquitted Dayanidhi Maran, another DMK leader who was Mr Raja’s predecessor as Telecom Minister, of corruption during his term. Mr Maran had been accused by the CBI of misusing his office to force the sale of mobile carrier Aircel to an entrepreneur in Malaysia in exchange for a bribe that was disguised as an investment of 200 crores in a media empire owned by the minister’s brother.