The former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday as the agency moved ahead with its ongoing probe into the allegations of financial irregularities and undue favours to some telecom companies in granting 2G spectrum between October 2007 and 2008.
Mr. Raja was earlier quizzed on December 24 and 25 last. On Monday, he was grilled at the CBI office for nearly nine hours, official sources said.
According to the sources, Mr. Raja was asked about his conversations with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and the reasons for advancing the cut-off date for allocation of spectrum in 2007.
Some of the questions focussed on the role of his kin in a few offshoot companies of these telecom firms, besides flow of funds. The DMK MP was also asked about some documents recovered by the agency during searches in Telecom Department offices, the sources said.
CBI sources did not rule out the possibility of Mr. Raja being called again for questioning on the documents retrieved from the computers seized during raids.
It is learnt he was also questioned on the circumstances leading to spectrum allocation, which has come in for severe criticism by the Central Vigilance Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG).
Mr. Raja resigned on November 14 last in the wake of the CAG report, which held that the spectrum allocation at undervalued prices resulted in a notional loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer. The agency has already searched his residential premises in Delhi and other premises in Tamil Nadu.
Monday's questioning came within days of Ms. Radia being quizzed last week.
