“The country cannot be kept in the dark”, the Supreme Court said on Monday while directing the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to complete investigation into all 2G Spectrum scam cases, including the Aircel-Maxis deal case, in six months.
“This is a very important case and the country must know the results, whatever may be the decision. Why is this investigation taking too long? What are the reasons for delay. Is anybody behind the delay?” Justice Arun Mishra, heading a Bench also comprising Justice Navin Sinha, asked Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal.
The court noted that the case has come before this Bench after a gap of four years. It ordered the agencies to file a status report in two weeks.
“We want all answers to the questions raised by Comptroller and Auditor General in his report (on the 2G spectrum scam cases),” Justice Mishra said firmly.
The two agencies have been investigating Aircel/Maxis telecom owner and Malaysian accused T. Ananda Krishnan and Ralph Marshall. The investigators are also examining allegations that former finance minister P. Chidambaramignored Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) regulations by clearing the foreign investment proposal in 2006 to a Mauritius company to acquire 73.99% equity in M/s Aircel Ltd, a telecom service provider.
BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a party in the Supreme Court litigation, had alleged that the investment was worth about Rs. 3,500 crore or $800 million Dollars and Mr. Chidambaram granted FIPB approval without getting clearance from the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs (CCEA).
In a separate writ petition in the apex court, Mr. Chidambaram called the CBI and ED probe into the Aircel-Maxis case as “illegal investigations”. This petition is pending in the apex court and is yet to be heard.
The ED is also looking into the money laundering aspects of the Aircel-Maxis deal. This includes the probe into the role of Chidambaram's son, Karti, who is now in custody in connection with the INX Media FIPB approval case.
Mr. Venugopal informed the Bench that Mr. Ananda Krishnan was not co-operating with the investigation. The Malaysian government has also refused to participate in the probe despite letter rogatories.
The Bench posted the case for further hearing on April 2.
