2G scam: Swamy says Karunanidhi is involved

NEW DELHI - Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy Saturday made a fresh plea before a Delhi court that the CBI should probe issues related to national security and alleged involvement of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the 2G spectrum scam.

Hearing Swamy’s plea, Special Judge Pradeep Chaddah asked him how a parallel inquiry could proceed when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was already investigating into the matter and had apprehended DMK leader and former communications minister A. Raja and other top officials.

Swamy said that his complaint covered Karunanidhi’s alleged role in the scam and national security and it should be looking into it in the “nation’s interest”.

“I have named DMK chief Karunanidhi as a co-accused along with Raja in the matter and many more names will be added,” Swamy told the court.

He said his complaint revolved around wider issues which were not covered by the CBI’s on-going investigation into the scandal involving allocation of second generation (2G) airwaves (spectrum) to telecom companies in 2008 at below market price.

Swamy said companies like Etisalat DB (Swan Telecom), a Dubai-based company, had alleged connections with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Swan was granted licences at cheap rates in 13 circles.

According to Swamy, Swan acquired two more circles when another new licensee, Allianz Infratech, merged with it.

The court asked the probe agency to file a detailed report Feb 22. The court asked the CBI to give details of the investigation being carried out by it and whether it covered the aspect of national security.

“As per section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code, when it appears to the magistrate that the police (CBI) investigation is in progress in relation to some matter, (like) the complaint case which is pending before him, he must stop the proceedings and call for a report,” the court said.

Swamy said that he intended to file an application seeking impleading of Tamil Nadu chief minister as an accused as there was sufficient evidence against him.

The CBI is presently interrogating Raja, former telecom secretary Siddartha Behura and Raja’s former personal secretary R.K. Chandolia.

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai filed a certified copy of the entire report concerning the matter through his advocate Sandeep Sethi. Rai was earlier summoned by the court to appear as witnesses on Swamy’s complaint.

The order came on a complaint filed by Swamy seeking registration of a criminal case against Raja for his alleged role in the scam which, according to the CAG, caused a presumptive loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

Raja and two of his aides were arrested here by the CBI Wednesday for their suspected role in the allocation of airwaves for second generation phone services, billed as the country’s biggest corruption scandal to date.