2G case: Relief for Chidambaram, Supreme Court dismisses petitions seeking probe against him

New Delhi: In huge relief for the Congress-led UPA government, the Supreme Court has dismissed two petitions seeking a CBI investigation against Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G telecom scam.

 Here are the latest developments:

1) The court held that there was no case made out against the Finance Minister. Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan had pleaded in separate petitions that Mr Chidambaram be investigated for his alleged role in the telecom scam. Mr Chidambaram was Finance Minister in 2008, when then Telecom Minister A Raja allegedly gifted mobile network licenses and frequency to ineligible companies

2) Mr Swamy's petition said that Mr Chidambaram must be made a co-accused in the 2G scam case. His contention was that the minister must be held responsible for allowing the telecom scam on his watch as Finance Minister.

3) Mr Swamy said that Mr Chidambaram was aware of Mr Raja's actions. On matters like the pricing of spectrum, he should have intervened to protect the country's interests, Mr Swamy has argued.
4) A special CBI court had rejected Mr Swamy's request in February this year and he had appealed to the Supreme Court against that verdict.

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5) The other petition had been filed by leading lawyer and anti-corruption activist Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, a non-governmental organisation. It sought a CBI investigation into Mr Chidambaram's alleged role in the 2G scam.

6) Mr Bhushan's petition alleged that Mr Chidambaram as Finance Minister overruled his officers who favoured the auction of spectrum. Mr Bhushan also said that Mr Chidambaram allowed two companies that were allegedly shown undue favour by Mr Raja, to sell stake to foreign investors at massive profits on the basis of licences that they had got at hefty bargains. The companies - Swan and Unitech Wireless - have said no rules were violated because they did not sell their stake but created additional equity. Swan partnered with UAE-based Etisalat and Unitech with Norwegian company Telenor. The government has said that both companies operated within the parameters of the law in those partnerships.

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7) Early this year, the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences issued by Mr Raja and said that spectrum should have been auctioned instead of being given at no extra cost along with licences. 2G or second generation spectrum will now be auctioned this year on the court's orders. A Raja spent about a year in jail before being granted bail.  

8) The BJP-led opposition has targeted Mr Chidambaram for his alleged role in the 2G scam, and have demanded that he resign. Opposition parties boycotted him in Parliament during the Winter Session last year and also during this year's Budget Session.

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9) The BJP wants Mr Chidambaram and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to depose before a Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into the 2G scam. The main opposition party says the list of witnesses proposed by the JPC includes senior NDA leaders  Atal Bihari Vajpayee and George Fernandez, who are in poor health, but not the PM and Mr Chidambaram.

10) Mr Chidambaram was till last month the Home Minister of India. He took over as Finance Minister again on July 31 to replace Pranab Mukherjee who has been elected President of India. The Opposition has objected to this as it has to Mr Chidambaram being appointed as head of an empowered group of ministers deciding on how to auction spectrum for the 122 licences that the Supreme Court had cancelled.