CBI raids Raja and telecom ministry officials (Third Lead)

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday searched the Delhi and Tamil Nadu homes of former telecom minister A. Raja as well as the premises of four of his former aides in the ministry in connection with the 2G spectrum probe, an official said.

The CBI team reached Rajass 2-A Motilal Nehru Marg residence in the national capital around 7 a.m. Raids continued through the morning in New Delhi as well as a few places in Tamil Nadu, Raja’s home state.

The raids are being held at five places (in Delhi) and we are searching further Raids are still on at different locations. Its too early to give an update, CBI Director A.P. Singh told reporters here.

He said Raja was likely to be questioned soon in the scam.

Raids also took place at the residences of Raja’s former private secretary R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behuria, member telecom K. Sridhar and deputy director general, telecom, A.K. Srivastava.

While CBI officials in Chennai told IANS that they had no information on the raids, a police official in Raja’s native Perambalur town said CBI officials had been conducting raids at his residence there since morning.

The AIADMK - the major opposition party in Tamil Nadu - has also demanded Raja’s arrest under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Saying the raids were a bit late, AIADMK MP V. Maitreyan said the former minister should be arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Raja was forced to resign last month after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) indicted him in the spectrum allocation scam and for causing losses between Rs.58,000 crore ($12.8 billion) and Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) to the exchequer.

He is alleged to have sold spectrum licenses at rates much lower than the market.

The 2G spectrum saga had crippled parliament since Nov 10 as the opposition refused to give up its demand for a parliamentary probe into the scam.