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2G: CAG offers to explain Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss
New Delhi, October 10

With the figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss in 2G Spectrum allocation under dispute, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai today offered to explain it to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

pac to re-open the case n The Public Accounts Committee, which is set to re-examine the case, held its meeting on Monday. n  Hours ahead of the PAC meeting, Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi also received a letter from Rai who expressed readiness to explain the methodology used for estimating the losses due to the controversial allocation of 2G radiowaves. n  The PAC also decided to summon RP Singh, former Director General of Audit (Post and Telecommunications), who was the lead auditor in 2G Spectrum allocation.

The PAC is set to re-examine the case in view of a Congress member’s demand. The PAC, which met here to discuss the CAG reports on Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Society scams, also decided to summon RP Singh, former Director General of Audit (Post and Telecommunications), who was the lead auditor in 2G Spectrum allocation. He had reportedly disputed the loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

The decision was taken after Congress member Sanjay Nirupam demanded that Singh should be called to explain, sources said.

Hours ahead of the PAC meeting, Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi also received a letter from Rai who expressed readiness to explain the methodology used for estimating the losses due to the controversial allocation of 2G radiowaves.

Rai cited Nirupam's letter to Joshi, which had appeared in a section of the media, pointing out reported differences within the CAG on the estimation of the losses. Singh had reportedly said the losses were to the tune of Rs 2,645 crore only.

It was also decided that Rai's deputy Rekha Gupta would be present to explain the doubts of the members.

Nirupam is understood to have questioned the credibility of all the CAG reports and insisted that the Committee should not proceed further on the auditor's reports on Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Society scam till the issue of estimate of 2G losses was settled. — PTI

SC reserves order on plea for probing Chidambaram
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 10
The Supreme Court today reserved order on two pleas. The first pertained to probing the alleged involvement of Home Minister P Chidambaram in the 2007-08 2G Spectrum scam when he was the Finance Minister. Orders on the plea for setting up a special investigation team (SIT) in view of the “slipshod” probe conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case were also reserved.

A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly reserved verdict at the conclusion of arguments by the CBI and the Centre opposing the pleas of Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy and counsel Prashant Bhushan.

Senior counsel KK Venugopal, arguing for the CBI, said the CBI was a specialised agency which normally substituted the state police whenever such need arose due to lapses on the part of the police or on general demand as in Gujarat riots cases.

CBI had never been substituted by an SIT or any other agency and doing so in the 2G case would demoralise the agency which had conducted round-the-clock investigations that had resulted in the arrest of former telecom minister A Raja and several top officials and company executives, he contended.

On the plea for probing Chidambaram’s role, Venugopal argued that the SC had no power to direct the CBI to conduct investigations against “particular individuals” or to take the probe “in a particular direction.”

Senior counsel PP Rao, appearing for the Central government, contended that Chidambaram had no role in the scam as he had taken a consistent stand for revising the Spectrum price. Despite this, Raja had released the letters of intent (LoIs) on January 10, 2008 without even waiting for the full Telecom Commission meeting slated for January 15.

Swamy, however, argued that LoI was like an engagement before marriage which had no legal sanctity and as such the issue of telecom licence bundled with Spectrum could have been stalled if Chidambaram really wanted to prevent the huge loss of revenue to the government.

Emphasising the need for an SIT, Bhushan contended that CBI had been found wanting in several aspects of the investigation.

CBI not to oppose Kanimozhi’s bail plea

New Delhi, October 10
After being in jail for nearly six months, DMK MP Kanimozhi may finally get some relief on October 17 when her bail plea would come up for hearing as CBI has decided not to oppose it.

Cineyug Films’ founder Karim Morani and Reliance executive Surendra Pipara may also get relief on health grounds, highly-placed sources in the agency said.

Sources said the CBI would not oppose the bail plea of the three who have been languishing in jail for over five months.

They said freedom to 43-year-old Kanimozhi, who has been in jail since May 20, may not be opposed on gender grounds besides the fact that she had to look after her child.

However, it would press for conditions that she should not tamper with evidence.

The sources said bail plea of Morani, who is lodged in the jail since May 30, and Pipara, who was arrested on April 21, would also not be opposed on health grounds.

The bail plea of Kanimozhi and Morani would come up for hearing on October 17 before the special CBI judge OP Saini.

The bail plea of the DMK leader and Morani was earlier rejected by the trial court and subsequently by the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court. Pipara had applied for bail immediately after his arrest but the same was rejected. — PTI