CBI raids offices of Vodafone and Bharti Airtel in connection with 2G scam
19 Nov 2011
The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) today decided to investigate alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation during the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government.
It will also probe additional allocation of the 2G spectrum during the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan's tenure as telecom minister, with the CBI registering a second FIR.
As part of the investigation process, the investigating agency conducted raids at the offices of Vodafone in Mumbai and Airtel in Gurgaon. The residences of former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh and former director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) J R Gupta were also raided.
Mahajan was in charge of the telecom portfolio between 2001 and 2003, and the raids come following the Supreme Court order for a preliminary investigation into all spectrum allocation between 2001 to 2007. However, Mahajan does not figure as an accused since he died in 2006.
The case comes as a follow up to the Supreme Court ordered preliminary enquiry under which spectrum allocation during the tenures of former telecom ministers Mahajan, Arun Shourie and Dayanidhi Maran was being probed.
This was the second FIR in the preliminary enquiry following the registration of an enquiry against Maran.