2G scam: CBI raids residences of Raja,his family and aides

An eight-member team conducted searches at Raja’s house in his native village Velur in Perambalur district from the morning,while other teams were searching the homes of his brother and sister in Srirangam and Tiruvanaikaval in Tiruchirapalli district.

Local sources from Perambalur said raids were also on at the residence of A M Sadhick Batcha,the managing director of real estate firm Green House Promoters and a close aide of Raja.

Raids were on at the Chennai residence of this businessman who was then taken to his office in the city by the CBI team.

In January this year,the central agency had conducted searches at Batcha’s office; while CBI officials were tightlipped then,local police sources said Raja’s brother A Kaliaperumal,a director in Green House Promoters,was also summoned by the sleuths.

The company has Raja’s nephew R P Paramesh Kumar as the joint managing director,and another nephew R Ram Ganesh besides Kaliaperumal,as directors.

The scam-tainted former minister’s wife was also on the board,but resigned after her connection with the company threatened to became a liability.

These searches came a day after Raja’s name surfaced in connection with an alleged attempt to influence a Madras High Court Judge in a criminal case. The court had suspended Chairman of Tamil Nadu Bar Council R K Chandramohan for allegedly attempting to influence the judge by taking Raja’s name last year,when he was Union minister.

Sources said another Raja’s aide,Sadiq Basha,was picked up by CBI officials in Chennai for questioning.

Raids were also carried out at the houses of former Telecom Secretary Siddarth Behura,Chandolia,Member Telecom Commission K Sridhar and Deputy Director General in the Department of Telecom A K Srivastava,CBI sources said.

CBI Director A P Singh said: “We have raided the premises of five persons. The raids are still on. No arrests have been made.”

Raja has maintained he was ready for questioning by the CBI any time.

CBI sources said the former minister would also be questioned during the process of searches.

The Supreme Court had come down heavily on the CBI on November 22 for failing to question Raja and the Telecom Secretary in connection with the scam,saying it was “beating around the bush”.

A Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly wondered why the premier investigating agency failed to question the duo despite the CVC and CAG reports sharply indicting them for their involvement.

“Any responsible person will question the involvement of the Minister and the Secretary and you (CBI) say that 8,000 documents have been examined. You are beating around the bush. It was (questioning) minimum expected of the CBI. What do you take this court for,” the bench had observed during the argument.

The residence of Behura,who became Telecom Secretary on January 1,2008,was also searched. He was also asked questions about the licensing procedures.

Behura told the CBI that licenses were handed over on January 10,2008 and that the decision had already been taken,a statement he made to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Tuesday as well.

The questioning of Raja comes within days after the CBI informing the Supreme Court that it had transcribed nearly 6,000 telephone calls involving corporate lobbyist Niira Radia,Raja and others during which a purported mention about the allocation of spectrum was also made.

Chandolia,who was sent back to his parent department — Indian Economic Services — within days of new Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal taking charge,has been quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the issue of the first-come-first-served basis for the allocation of spectrum in 2008 after the cut off date for receiving applications was advanced by a week from October 1,2007 to September 25.

Srivastava was heading the licencing division of the DoT when the licenses were issued.

The CBI had registered a case on October 21,2009 against unknown Department of Telecom officials and private persons and companies for allegedly causing loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the exchequer.

The CBI has earlier searched offices of Wireless Planning Cell (WPC),the department responsible for allocating Spectrum,and the office of Deputy Director General (Access Services) of the Telecom Ministry to probe the allegations of connivance of officials with private companies in allocation of Spectrum.

It had also conducted searches in eight cities housing headquarters of various telecom firms in connection with its probe into the alleged scam.