The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday served notice on the former Union Telecom Minister, A. Raja, asking him to appear before it for questioning, even as the agency went ahead with its ongoing probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
The agency quizzed the former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chief, Pradip Baijal.
A former IAS officer, Mr. Baijal was questioned by CBI officials for about three hours at the agency's headquarters here. “I have given my clarifications to the CBI,'' he told journalists.
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Sources in the CBI said that corporate lobbyist Niira Radia would also be questioned. The agency has searched the residential premises of Mr. Raja, Mr. Baijal and Ms. Radia. Notices are also being sent to Ms. Radia for questioning.
The former Minister was served notice at his official residence here under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Mr. Raja had to quit as Telecom Minister last month as Opposition parties whipped up a political storm in the wake of the CAG report, estimating a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore allegedly due to irregularities and undervaluation of prices while allocating 2G spectrum.
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Taking charge of the probe, the Supreme Court last week asked the CBI to investigate also the grant of licences from 2001 to 2006-07, with particular emphasis on the loss caused to the public exchequer and corresponding gain made by the licensees and service providers.
Specifically, the court asked the CBI to probe how licences were granted to a large number of ineligible applicants and directed it to establish who was responsible for this.
The CBI has been asked by the court to submit its probe status report by February 10, when the matter comes up for further hearing.