New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take cognizance of the case of CBI keeping a scribe in the dark for 20 months about the closure of preliminary inquiry against him for allegedly trying to influence the Enforcement Directorate's probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. "We will take cognizance of it," a bench comprising justices GS Singhvi and KS Radhakrishnan said after senior advoacte Ram Jethmalani showed the CBI communication received by the journalist.
The CBI communication dated April 16, 2013 stated that the preliminary inquiry started on the apex court's May 5, 2011 order against Upendra Rai, then director (News) Sahara News Network, was closed on August, 30 2011. It was alleged that Rai had tried to bribe Assistant Director of ED Sharad Chaudhary to get favour for corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.
The bench, which took on record the copy of the communication, asked Jethmalani to file a proper affidavit in this regard. The issue was taken up when the bench was to hear the contempt case against Sahara Group Chief Subrata Roy for allegedly interfering with the probe in the 2G spectrum case.
Jethmalani, who alongwith advocate Keshav Mohan was appearing for Roy, said this closure of preliminary inquiry against Rai will have a bearing on the main contempt petition. The CBI was asked to inquire after an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), had alleged that Rai had allegedly met an Assistant Director of ED and offered him Rs two
08:50 PM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: Hours after he reiterated his allegation that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was aware of all the decisions taken in connection with the allocation of 2G spectrum, former telecom minister A Raja on Monday attacked the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for not allowing him to depose before it. The JPC is examining the 2G spectrum allocation. "This is not the way the JPC is expected to function," said Raja....
07:13 PM, Apr 22, 2013
New Delhi: The government was ready to debate all issues, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday as he appealed to the Opposition for smooth functioning of Parliament. "It is my sincere wish that house will function. If there are any concerns of the opposition we are willing to debate all those issues which are worrying the opposition," Manmohan Singh told reporters shortly before parliament resumed the budget session after...
11:40 AM, Apr 22, 2013
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday fixed April 29 for hearing the matter in additional 2G spectrum allocation case in which Bharti Cellular CMD Sunil Mittal, Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia and others have been summoned as accused. Mittal, Ruia and former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh appeared before Special CBI Judge OP Saini and the court adjourned the matter in pursuance of the order passed by the Supreme Court...
11:30 AM, Apr 22, 2013
New Delhi: Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has asked a committee, which is examining the conditions for allocation of spectrum to different entities, to submit its report soon. The Minister approved a note for expansion of the committee on April 1, 2013 and asked the panel to submit its report in one month from the date of its reconstitution, official sources said. "The issue (spectrum assignment) impacts other ministries such as...
02:15 AM, Apr 13, 2013
New Delhi: Bharti CMD Sunil Mittal and Essar group promoter Ravi Ruia, who have been summoned as accused in the additional 2G spectrum allocation case, on Thursday appeared in a Delhi court which posted the matter for further proceedings on April 16. Mittal's counsel placed before special CBI judge OP Saini the order passed by the Supreme Court postponing till April 16 the proceedings in the case. Besides Mittal and...
12:33 PM, Apr 11, 2013
Widening its probe into the 'taped' conversation between Central Bureau of Investigation prosecutor AK Singh and Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, the investigating agency on Wednesday questioned Swan and DB Realty promoter Shahid Balwa. ...
12:14 AM, Feb 21, 2013
Swan and DB Realty promoter Shahid Balwa on Wednesday reached the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Delhi after the investigating agency summoned him for questioning in connection with the audio recordings of purported conversation between the CBI prosecutor AK Singh and another 2G scam accused Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra. ...
05:31 PM, Feb 20, 2013
The government has taken steps to ensure availability of spectrum and its allocation in a transparent manner, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday while expressing confidence the months of tough challenges faced by the sector is coming to an end. ...
12:05 PM, Dec 13, 2012
The auction of 2G spectrum has ended in a massive disappointment. The government has received bids less than Rs 10,000 crore, which is far below the reserve price of Rs 28,000 crore. The Centre had expected to earn nearly Rs 40,000 crore. ...
09:34 AM, Nov 15, 2012
New Delhi: The government will begin on Monday the auction for telecom spectrum through which it is hoping to meet Rs 40,000 crore revenue target. The auction for the airwaves or frequencies freed from the cancellation of 122 telecom licenses, belonging to mainly eight companies, by the Supreme Court in February, will start at 0900 hours on Monday. "We have taken quick decision, firm decisions in the telecom sector. The...
03:34 PM, Nov 11, 2012
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram was a relieved man on Friday as the Supreme Court dismissed the plea seeking a probe into his role in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam. The plea, filed by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, was dismissed by the Supreme Court as it observed that "there is no prima facie material to show that P Chidambaram got pecuniary benefits". While Chidambaram refrained...
06:04 PM, Aug 24, 2012
New Delhi: Parliament remained paralysed for the third consecutive day on Thursday over the CAG report on coal blocks allocation with neither the UPA Government not the Opposition, particularly the BJP, showing any signs of backtracking from their stand. The BJP has been unrelenting on its demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should resign over the CAG report while the government alleges that the principal opposition party is only interested...
03:01 PM, Aug 23, 2012
New Delhi: 2.02 pm: Parliament was adjourned till Friday over the CAG report on coal block allocation issue. 2.01 pm: Parliament proceedings resume. 1.05 pm: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that his party will not let any bill harming small traders pass in the Parliament. "I want to assure this to all the small traders in India," he said. 12.55 pm: Taking on the Opposition, Congress president Sonia...
11:12 AM, Aug 23, 2012
New Delhi: The BJP-Congress face-off on the issue of coal block allocation is set to derail Parliament again on Thursday. Leaders of the BJP Parliamentary Party are meeting in LK Advani's chambers to discuss their next move on the coal scam as well as the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam. Meanwhile, the BJP sources say that the reports of the party MPs resigning from the Lok Sabha are...
10:34 AM, Aug 23, 2012
New Delhi: Under pressure from the Opposition, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to be ready to speak on the issue of coal block allocation in Parliament and present his defence. While the Congress accuses the BJP of shying away from debate, the BJP says Parliament will not function till the Prime Minister resigns. In his defence, the Prime Minister is expected to say that coal blocks were allocated in...
07:30 AM, Aug 23, 2012
New Delhi: It appears to be an all out war between the Opposition and the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leaving no stone unturned in its attempts to corner the UPA government on both the 2G spectrum allocation scam as well as the coal blocks allocation scam. Even as the BJP continued with its protest against the government with regard to the coal blocks allocation scam in Parliament,...
11:29 PM, Aug 22, 2012
The BJP continued with its protest against the government with regard to the coal blocks allocation scam in Parliament and its members also staged a walkout during the meeting of JPC on the 2G scam. ...
11:22 PM, Aug 22, 2012
New Delhi: The Central government has moved the Supreme Court in the 2G case, saying it needs time till November 12 to start fresh auction. The government has also sought another 40 days to complete the auction and allocate licences. The Supreme Court had earlier set an August 31 deadline. The decision to move court was taken in the EGoM headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday. "Auctioneer has...
03:42 PM, Aug 09, 2012
New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications will move the Supreme Court to push the deadline for 2G auction to November. The Supreme Court had earlier set an August 31 deadline. The decision to move court was taken in the EGoM headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday. "Auctioneer has given us schedule...we will approach the Supreme Court to place before them the fact what government has done. Also, place...
01:28 PM, Aug 07, 2012
