Sources in the JPC said that panel Chairman P C Chacko is set to tell Raja that instead of appearing before JPC as a witness, he can submit a "rebuttal note" on the statement made by Attorney General G E Vahanvati before the Committee that the controversial press note regarding 2G licences was changed at the last minute by the former telecom minister in 2008 with a different pen.
Sources said the decision was taken after the top Congress leadership met in Delhi on Sunday to discuss the issue anticipating uproar in Parliament on Monday by the opposition, which has been demanding Telecom Minister A Raja's removal.
The matter was mentioned before a bench of Delhi high court's acting chief justice Gita Mittal and kustice C Hari Shankar by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court allowed it to be listed for hearing on Wednesday.
Chargesheets will be filed against former telecom minister A Raja and two companies by March 31 for their alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation case, the Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court on Wednesday, which asked the agency to appoint a suitable senior advocate as special public prosecutor in the trial.
Former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura on Friday moved the Delhi high court challenging the framing of charges against him in 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
Former Union telecom minister A Raja on Saturday said he will cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation to prove his innocence in the wake of the probe agency conducting searches at the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham leader and his aides' residences in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
Former Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Ganguly says former telecom minister A Raja acted unilaterally in the 2G spectrum mess and that his Cabinet colleagues are not to be blamed. Speaking to Karan Thapar on CNN IBN's Devil's Advocate, Ganguly said it is not correct to apply the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility in the case related to the distribution of 2G licences on a first-come-first-served basis.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the 2G spectrum allocation
The Reliance decision was challenged by various GSM-mobile phone firms and there is an attempt to create a split in their ranks -- Maxis Aircel has already withdrawn from the court case, and it is likely another one or two firms will follow as they've been made to believe this improves their chances of getting spectrum.
As the 49-year-old Lok Sabha MP stepped out of Gate no 4 of the Tihar jail, he was received by DMK MP from Kanyakumari J Halen Davidson.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja's written submission before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, in which he had claimed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in the loop over policy decisions, does not form part of the panel's report on 2G spectrum scam.
A Raja, former telecom minister, on Wednesday completed nine months in jail without even once trying his release on bail unlike other 13 accused persons in the 2G spectrum case, who have knocked the doors of all the three courts, including the Supreme Court.
The government hopes to raise from the ongoing 3G spectrum auction more than Rs 30,000-35,000 crore (Rs 300-350 billion), an amount estimated earlier, Telecom Minister A Raja said.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja on Friday told a Delhi court that he would not respond to the Central Bureau of Investigation's fresh plea to invoke additional charge of criminal breach of trust against all the accused till the agency stated that its probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam was on or over.
The Supreme Court Registry is learnt to have refused to accept the Centre's plea seeking modification of its 2012 verdict in the 2G spectrum case which had said the State was duty bound to adopt the auction route while transferring or alienating the country's natural resources.
A telcom operator said since there is a CBI investigation over alleged irregularties in the license and spectrum allotment going on, the minister may try to win over the industry by asking them not to be perturbed over the development and focus on operations and customers.
Former telecom minister A Raja, who is an accused in the 2G spectrum scam, has sought Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar's permission to depose before the Joint Parliamentary Committee, probing the case, and render his side of the argument.
Terming Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea for prosecuting former telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum case as "misconceived and premature", the government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the sanction had been sought even before a complaint was filed in a court.
In the backdrop of the Supreme Court's remarks on delay by the prime minister in acting on plea for sanction of prosecution of A Raja in 2G spectrum case, Congress on Wednesday said it was "wrong and unfair" to say Manmohan Singh has not taken action against the former telecom minister.
The government on Tuesday tabled in Parliament the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on 2G spectrum allocation, whose reported extracts have created a political storm and led to the resignation of Telecom Minister A Raja.
He allegedly advanced the cut-off date to favour accused firms in allocation of 2G licences.
The much-awaited trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, involving high-profile accused including former Telecom minister A Raja, Dravida Munettra Kazhagam member of Parliament Kanimozhi, top corporate honchos and telecom firms, is likely to commence from Friday before a Delhi court.
In an interview to PTI, Raja said his ministry would keep a vigil on these players and on their plans to start operations (50 per cent in the first year of spectrum allotment). Raja's assertion has come at a time when he is faced with criticism following the high-value stake-sale of two new telcos -- Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom -- who are yet to start services.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja's erstwhile Private Secretary R K Chandolia was today imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 by the Delhi high court for making a plea to it to summon a plethora of documents from the P)rime Minister's Office to help him cross-examine a 2G case witness in the trial court.
The defence ministry has decided to release only that 3G spectrum that is to be auctioned and that too in phases. In fact, the armed forces have not released spectrum already in use as envisaged in their agreement with department of telecommunication.
Even the CBI has filed a case against some unknown officials of the DoT for conniving with private companies for manipulation of licence terms and conditions.
A special court on Friday framed charges against former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi and others under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the 2G spectrum scam related to money laundering.
Sukh Ram and Raja were charged with corruption during their tenure as telecom ministers. Sukh Ram was convicted while Raja has been acquitted. One had cash found under his bed; in the case of the other the trial judge mockingly asks: Where is the money? And if there's no money, where is the corruption? So, pronounced innocent. Sukh Ram is a Brahmin. 'Maybe he strayed just that one time, people like that aren't usually corrupt.' And Raja is a Dalit. 'Can you expect any better?' What race is in some places, caste is in India, says Shekhar Gupta.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday opposed the bail plea of former Telecom Minister A Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, saying that he is a public servant and cannot be treated on par with those granted bail in the 2G case.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja on Friday opposed in a Delhi court the fresh plea of Central Bureau Investigation seeking framing of a charge for criminal breach of trust in the 2G spectrum allocation case against 17 accused, saying it was an attempt to keep him in jail.
A Delhi court on Friday refused permission to jailed former Telecom Minister A Raja to visit and assist his lawyers in the Supreme Court during hearings in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, saying enough time was being granted to him for legal consultations.
The CBI contended before the Delhi high court on Tuesday that there were glaring illegalities in the trial court judgment that acquitted former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo M Karunanidhi on Monday renominated former telecom minister and 2G scam accused A Raja for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. He also sent a strong message to rebels in the party by denying a ticket to his son M K Alagiri.
Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia on Thursday told a special court that she had talked about Cabinet formation to former Telecom Minister A Raja and Dravida Munetra Kazhagam Member of Parliament Kanimozhi who are facing trial in the 2G spectrum case.
The CBI on Wednesday lodged a fresh case against A Raja for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 27.92 crore during the period of 11 years between 1999 and 2010.
Former Central Bureau of Investigation joint director Amit Kumar, who is now posted as Chhattisgarh police ADG, led the probe into the coal scam that resulted in convictions in a number of cases.
Earlier in the day, Cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, who was heading the high-level committee to monitor vacation of spectrum by the defence forces, said revenues would get preference to timing for 3G auction.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed all Union ministers to declare their assets and liabilities and indicate their business interests.The prime minister's directions were circulated in a six-page letter to all Union ministers by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar on June 2. Dr Singh's direction comes in the wake of Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran and former telecom minister A Raja getting embroiled in the massive 2G scam.
Glimpses from Parliament and outside Parliament on Tuesday.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja, Dravid Munnetra Kazagham MP Kanimozhi and seven others, chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in a 2G scam-related money laundering case, were on Wednesday granted bail by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court.
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