New Delhi:
On Saturday, the CBI will file its chargesheet against Mr Raja and four others, including two companies - Swan and Unitech- that are believed to be the biggest beneficiaries of the massive spectrum swindle. Both companies used the licenses they were granted by Mr Raja to make huge profits by selling stake to foreign partners.
(Read: CBI seeks more time to file chargesheet against Raja)The CBI told the court that Mr Raja, as widely expected, will be charged with forgery, criminal consrpiacy, and corruption. In 2008, he bent government rules to award spectrum at throwaway prices to companies who were largely ineligible. Mr Raja was arrested in February. The man who promoted Swan, Shahid Balwa, was arrested a few weeks ago for allegedly routing a 200-crore kickback to Mr Raja through a TV channel in Chennai owned largely by the family of M Karunanidhi, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the chief of Mr Raja's party, the DMK. Kalaignar TV is owned by Mr Karunandihi's wife, Dayalu Ammal, and his daughter, Kanimozhi, who is a Rajya Sabha MP. In an interview to NDTV this week, Kanimozhi stressed that the money sent to her company from Mr Balwa was meant to be an investment that was returned with interest after negotiations broke down; she also said that business decisions made for her TV channel do not usually involve her. This morning, Mr Balwa's brother, Asif Balwa, was also arrested.
The most significant part of today's hearing lies in the CBI's assertion that corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's taped phone conversations will be used as evidence in the case. Ms Radia, who represents clients like Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata, allegedly worked her government contacts, including Mr Raja, to win privileges for her clients. She's also heard lobbying for Mr Raja to be made Telecom Minister after the UPA coalition won the general election in May 2009.
Ms Radia's phones were tapped between 2008 and 2009 as part of an income tax inquiry.
The CBI said that supplementary chargesheets will be filed on April 25 and then again on May 31; more people and companies are likely to be named in those.