Scope of CBI’s spectrum probe expanded: Bhushan
By IANSThursday, December 16, 2010
NEW DELHI - Senior counsel Prashant Bhushan Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court order expanding the scope of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
He said that now the CBI will probe the spectrum muddle in its entirety starting from 2001.
The probe will cover the role of officials of the department of telecommunications (DoT) who signed bank loan papers of telecom operators.
“The apex court order has expanded the scope of the investigation into the 2G spectrum scam,” Bhushan told IANS.
He had argued the case on behalf of NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), which sought the court’s monitoring of the probe by the CBI.
The counsel said that the CBI will also look into the bank loans given by the public sector banks to telecom operators.
“The role of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and its inaction against telecom operators who did not fulfil their rollout obligations as provided under the licence conditions will also be investigated,” Bhushan said.
He said the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department will keep updating the apex court on their investigations.
The director general of Income Tax department will provide the transcripts of telephonic intercepts of business lobbyist Niira Radia tapes to both the court and the CBI.
