2G: SC asks govt to respond to plea based on SFIO report

PIL seeks to have the CBI probe the role of Tata group, Karunanidhi and IPS officer Jaffer Sait in the scam

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government to respond to the Centre for Public Interest Litigation’s plea to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the role of the Tatas in the second generation (2G) telecom spectrum scam. The role of the Tatas in the scam, the court said, was brought out in a report by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

The application, moved by counsel Prashant Bhushan, also sought the CBI investigate the role of members of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi’s family, as well as Indian Police Service officer Jaffer Sait, in the attempted cover-up of the scam and tampering of evidence, as indicated in recorded audio conversations.

Along with the application, Bhushan also submitted the SFIO report that found “irregularities” in a few business transactions, after examining taped conversations of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.In November 2013, the court had asked the Centre and the CBI to file replies on a plea seeking to direct the government to take action on SFIO’s findings. A Bench had also asked former Tata chief Ratan Tata to file a reply on the matter.

In his petition, Bhushan has requested the court to direct a CBI investigation into role of the Tatas in acquiring dual technology licences and securing licences through Unitech and the quid pro quo between the Tatas and Karunanidhi’s family. The petition also noted the SFIO investigation had confirmed Unitech had acted as a front company for the Tatas and had secured 2G spectrum, allocated by the Department of Telecommunications in 2008, through fraud.