The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested former telecom minister A Raja along with former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura for taking bribes to allot 2G spectrum licences to companies of his choice, including Swan and Unitech. Raja’s former personal secretary R K Chandolia was also arrested. The former telecom minister, who was forced to resign after an audit report pegged the losses from the undervaluation of spectrum at Rs 1.76 lakh crore, has been accused of conspiring with the two officials to help certain companies garner the coveted licences cheaply. Raja and his officials have been charged with favouring eight telecom companies, some of which did not even fulfill all the criteria laid down by the government for acquiring licences. They have been charged with plotting a criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 13(I), 13(2) and 13 (2D) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The arrests can help the CBI satisfy the Supreme Court’s queries about the progress of the probe into the spectrum scam. The top court, which is monitoring the investigation, is to hear the matter on February 10. It can also help the government better deal with the opposition’s attack on the corruption issue . CBI sources said Raja was arrested for alleged misuse of the first-come-first-served policy to favour telecom companies of his choice in the allocation of 2G spectrum licences. He has also been accused of disregarding the fact that some of the companies which got licences should have beendisqualified. Raja had earlier rejected the two charges. However, CBI sources maintained that the arrests were made after investigators gathered strong evidence, including telephone conversations, of a nexus between the minister and the companies that received licences.
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