Supreme Court today cancelled 122 2-G licenses allocated to telecom
companies in 2008. The Apex court held that the licenses were granted
in arbitrary and unconstitutional manner and asked the telecom
Regulatory Authority of India to make fresh recommendation on the grant
of these licenses. The Court imposed a fine of five crore rupees each
for three telecom companies, which off loaded their shares after getting
the licenses. It maintained that the allocation of spectrum will be
done through auction within four months. The order came on petitions
filed by an NGO and the Janata Party President. The CBI is already
investigating the matter and DMK leader and former Telecom Minister A
Raja had to resign from the Union Cabinet in the wake of allegations of
corruption in the case. Several arrests have been made and Mr.Raja is
in Tihar jail. Another DMK leader Kanimozhi has also been charged in the
case. The Highest court of the country left it to the trial court to
decide on the demand for investigation of alleged role of Home Minister.
It also directed the CBI to file status reports on its ongoing probes
into 2G spectrum allocation case to the Central Vigilance Commission.
Special CBI court which is hearing a separate petition of Dr.Subramanian
Swamy to prosecute Mr.Chidambaram has already reserved its order for
Saturday. A two member bench of the court maintained that its order
should in no way influence the proceedings before the trial court. The
Apex court asked the trial court to decide the matter within two weeks.
Reacting to the court order, Dr.Subramanian Swamy described it as the
best judgement that was possible. He said the country can be justifiably
proud of Supreme Court. The BJP on the other hand demanded the
resignation of the Home Minister in the case. Party leader Balbir Punj
said in New Delhi that if Mr.Chidambaram is given a clean chit by the
trial court he can return to the Union Cabinet. Dismissing BJP demand,
Congress today noted that Supreme Court has not passed any remark
against Home Minister in the case. Party leader Rashid Alvi said in New
Delhi that it is too early to comment on the judgement. Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the government will examine the
implications of the judgments given by the Supreme Court in the 2G case.
He was responding to questions on the case. Meanwhile, CPI has said
that the Home Minister cannot absolve himself as it was his job to
prevent irregularities in the issue. Describing the Supreme Court
orders on 2G spectrum as a fine judgement, CPI General Secretary A B
Bardhan said, it was his job as the then Finance Minister to prevent
irregular
Comments