2G spectrum allocation scam: Timeline

2007: Process of allotment of 2G Spectrum for telecom along with Universal Access Service (UAS) Licences initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Sept 25,2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note fixing deadline for application as October 1,2007.

Oct 1,2007: DoT in receipt of 575 applications for UAS licences by 46 companies.

Nov 2,2007: PM writes to Raja directing him to ensure that 2G spectrum is allocated in a fair and transparent manner and to ensure that licence fee was properly revised. Raja writes back to PM allegedly rejecting many of his recommendations.

Nov 22,2007: Ministry of Finance writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adopted. Demand for review rejected.

Jan 10,2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first-come- first-served basis preponing the cut off date to September 25,from October 1,2007. Later on the same day,DoT posted an announcement on its website saying those who apply between 3.30 and 4.30 pm would be issued licences in accordance with

the said policy.

2008: Swan Telecom,Unitech and Tata Teleservices sell off a part of their stakes at much higher rates to Etisalat,Telenor and DoCoMo respectively.

May 4,2009: A detailed complaint is made by NGO Telecom Watchdog to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the illegalities in the 2G spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom.

May 19,2009 : Another complaint made to the CVC by one Arun Agarwal,highlighting grant of spectrum to Swan telecom at throwaway prices.

2009: CVC directs CBI to investigate the corruption in allocation of 2G spectrum.

July 1,2009: Single judge of Delhi HC holds change of cut-off date as illegal. S-tel had moved the petition.

Oct 21,2009: CBI registers a case and files an FIR under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against “unknown officers of DoT and unknown private persons/ companies and others”.

Oct 22,2009: CBI raids DoT offices.

Nov 16,2009: CBI seeks help from Directorate General of Income Tax regarding information on Niira Radia of Noesis Consultancy and records pertaining to middlemen regarding award of 2G spectrum licences.

Nov 20,2009: Information given by IT department shows involvement of corporate players in influencing policies of DoT via illegal means. Shows Niira Radia directly in touch with Raja.

Nov 24,2009: Division Bench of the Delhi High Court dismisses Centre’s appeal against the single judge order which held that change in cut off date are illegal.

Mar 31,2010: CAG report notes that the “whole process of issue of licence lacked fairness and transparency”.

Apr 2,2010: DIG of CBI Vineet Agarwal and DG IT Milap Jain,who were closely investigating the case,were transferred.

May 6,2010: Telephonic conversation between Raja and Niira Radia made public by the media.

May 2010: Government constitutes GoM for allocation of 3G spectrum reducing DoT under Raja as mere implementing body.

May 18,2010: CPIL and others move Delhi High Court seeking investigation into the case by SIT or CBI.

May 25,2010: Delhi HC dismisses the petition.

Aug 2010: CPIL and other challenges High Court order in Supreme Court.

Aug 18,2010: HC refuses to direct PM to decide on a complaint by Janata Party chief Swamy seeking sanction to prosecute Raja for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam

Sept 13,2010: SC asks government,Raja to reply within 10 days to three petitions filed by CPIL and others alleging there was a Rs 70,000 crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 2008.

Sept 24,2010: Swamy moves SC seeking direction to PM to sanction prosecution of Raja.

Sept 27,2010: Enforcement Directorate informs SC of probe against firms suspected to have violated FEMA. Says can’t deny or confirm now Raja’s involvement in the scam.

Oct 8,2010: SC asks government to respond to the CAG report about the scam.

Oct 21,2010: Draft reports of the CAG placed before the Supreme Court.

Oct 29,2010: SC pulls up CBI for its tardy progress in the investigations into the scam.

Nov 10,2010: CAG submits report on 2G spectrum to government stating loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to exchequer.

Nov 11,2010: DoT files affidavit in SC; says CAG did not have the authority to question the policy decision as per which licence were issued to new players in 2008.

Nov 14,2010: Raja resigns as Telecom Minister

Nov 15,2010: Kapil Sibal given additional charge of Telecom Ministry.

Nov 20,2010: Affidavit on behalf of PM filed in SC. Rejects charge of inaction on Swamy’s complaint.

Nov 22,2010: CBI tells SC it will file the charge sheet in the case within three months.

Nov 22,2010: CBI tells SC role of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia would be examined by it.

Nov 24,2010: SC reserves verdict on Swamy’s plea seeking direction to PM for grant of sanction to prosecute Raja.

Nov 25,2010: SC ticks off CBI for not questioning Raja. Says it was “beating around the bush”.

Nov 29,2010: CBI files status report on 2G Spectrum scam probe.

Nov 30,2010: SC questions CVC P J Thomas’s moral right to supervise CBI’s probe into the 2G spectrum scam as he himself was telecom secretary at the relevant point of time. Dec 1,2010: SC directs original tapes containing conversation between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others be handed over to it.

Dec 1,2010: Raja questions CAG findings in SC.

Dec 2,2010: Government places recorded tapes in SC.

Dec 2,2010: SC comes down heavily on Raja for “bypassing” and “overruling” PM’s advice to defer the allocation of 2G spectrum by a few days.

Dec 8,2010: SC favours including in the probe period since 2001 when first-come-first-served was the norm for spectrum allocation.

Dec 8,2010: SC asks Centre to consider setting up a special court to try the 2G spectrum scam case.

Dec 8,2010: ED submits report. Says money trail covers 10 countries,including Mauritius.

Dec 14,2010: Another PIL in SC seeking cancellation of new telecom licences and 2G spectrum allocated by DoT between 2008 and 2009.

Dec 15,2010: Swamy files petition in Delhi court seeking his inclusion as a public prosecutor in the 2G spectrum case.

Dec 15,2010: Swamy mentions in complaint Raja favoured “ineligible” private companies Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Unitech Wireless Ltd in allocating the spectrum.

Jan 4,2011: Swamy moves SC seeking cancellation of 2G spectrum licences.

Jan 10,2011: Supreme Court issues notice to the Centre on the plea seeking cancellation of 2G licenses. Also issues notices to 11 companies which allegedly did not fulfill the roll out obligations or were in eligible. (11 telecom companies — Etisalat,Uninor,Loop Telecom,Videocon,S-Tel,Allianz Infra,Idea Cellular,Tata Tele Services,Sistema Shyam Teleservices,Dishnet wireless and Vodafone-Essar.)

Jan 30,2011: Government’s decision to regularise licences of the companies which failed to meet the deadline for the roll-out obligation challenged in the Supreme Court.

Feb 2,2011: Raja,former Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura and Raja’s former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia arrested and next day they were remanded in CBI custody.

Feb 8,2011: Raja remanded to two more days of CBI custody. Behura and Chandolia sent to judicial custody.

Feb 8,2011: Shahid Usman Balwa,promoter of Swan Telecom,arrested by CBI.

Feb 10,2011: SC asks the CBI to bring under its scanner corporate houses which were beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum. Raja remanded to CBI custody for four more days by a special CBI court along with Balwa.

Feb 14,2011: Raja’s CBI custody extended for three more days. Balwa’s custody extended for four days.

Feb 17,2011: Raja sent to Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

Feb 18,2011: Balwa sent to Judicial custody.

Feb 24,2011: CBI tells Delhi Court that Balwa facilitated transaction to Kalaignar TV.

Feb 28,2011: Raja seeks judicial proceedings through video conferencing stating that he faces threat to life from fellow prisoners.

March 1,2011: CBI tells SC that 63 persons are under scanner. Raja allowed by CBI court to appear before it via video conferencing.

March 14,2011: The Delhi High Court sets up special court to deal exclusively with 2G cases. Balwa also allowed to appear via video conferencing.

March 29,2011: SC permits CBI to file charge sheet on April 2 instead of March 31. Two more persons – Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal arrested.

April 2: 2011: The CBI files its first charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.