CBI files report in apex court on spectrum probe

NEW DELHI - After the Supreme Court slammed it for not questioning former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday filed a report on its probe into the scandal involving allocation of spectrum to mobile companies.

The status report was filed in a sealed cover. The matter would come up for hearing Tuesday.

The status report is expected to shed light on the CBI’s position as to why the agency did not examine Raja, his then private secretary R.K. Chandolia and the then telecom secretary Siddartha Behura.

The investigating agency filed its status report in the case following its offer to the apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly Nov 25.

The CBI offer was made in response to a petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seeking that the CBI monitor the CBI investigations.

On Nov 25, the apex court pulled up the CBI as to why Raja had not been questioned so far when there was material on his involvement in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the scandal.

The CAG is an authority set up under the constitution. If such an authority gives such a report, any reasonable person will question the involvement of the telecom minister and the telecom secretary,” the apex court said.

This was the minimal expected of the CBI,” the court observed.

The CBI told the court that it did not go to a person unless it had a foolproof case.