Mathur, however, denied the realtor's allegation saying he was never in favour of cartelization by the old players. Realtor Chandra had ventured into telecom sector during A Raja's tenure as telecom minister.
"It is wrong to suggest that despite my protest against unjustifiable advantage in spectrum allocation to the old operators, I was supporting the old operators and was in favour of their cartelization.
"It is wrong to suggest that this fact is borne out from my various note sheets (prepared during his tenure as the telecom secretary)," Mathur told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
The CBI, in its first charge sheet, had alleged that Raja, during his tenure as the Minister of Environment and Forests, was familiar with Chandra and Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, all facing trial in the case, in respect of various clearances for their real estate projects.
Mathur, a key CBI witness in the case whose recording of statement was concluded today, said during his tenure as the telecom secretary, about 25 licences were issued but no auction was held for them.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
