2G scam: CBI says it doesn't know who taped conversations, or why

New Delhi: The massive telecom or 2G scam has delivered a new and powerful installment of controversy - audio tapes have mysteriously surfaced of purported conversations between the CBI's prosecutor and  one of the main suspects in the case, Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director of real estate major Unitech. (Unitech shares crash 25% over new allegations against Sanjay Chandra)

The conversation allegedly shows the CBI's prosecutor- AK Singh - advising Mr Chandra on legal strategy. The agency has fired Mr Singh; Mr Chandra has denied allegations of collusion. (Read his statement here). Both men were questioned by the CBI yesterday.

The CBI director, Ranjit Sinha, told NDTV this morning that the agency has not been able to establish who taped the conversations, which were delivered anonymously to its officers. 

Mr Chandra spent nearly eight months in jail in 2011 along with several other A-list executives accused of criminal conspiracy and cheating for landing out-of-turn mobile network licenses in 2008 from then Telecom Minister A Raja.

The CBI says the tapes are being forensically examined to determine their authenticity, but that the agency "is fully confident that owing to soundness of evidence and comprehensive, detailed investigation conducted by it, there should be no impact on the trial."

NDTV has not accessed the tapes and cannot comment on the contents.

A parliamentary committee that's deconstructing the scam to assign accountability is likely to question officials from the CBI and Telecom Department today about the new audio tapes.

The 2G scam shook the Prime Minister's fragile coalition after the government's auditor said it had cost the country 1.76 lakh crores. The CBI's investigation is being monitored by the Supreme Court, while a special CBI court in Delhi is trying Mr Raja, Mr Chandra and others.

In a statement last night, Unitech said Mr Chandra "wishes to make it absolutely clear that he has never met the prosecutor in the 2G case outside of court or had any phone conversation with him. He denies the suggestion that his voice is on any alleged recording. It appears a fabricated voice recording has been sent anonymously to the CBI."