CBI sleuths grill Raja aides

The CBI is questioning all close aides of former telecom minister A Raja who were raided on Wednesday.

The CBI is questioning all close aides of former telecom minister A Raja who were raided on Wednesday.

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Apart from Raja, the CBI carried out raids on former private secretary RK Chandolia, former department of telecom (DoT) secretary Siddharth Behura, two former senior officials of the telecom commission K. Sridhara and AK Srivastava and Sadique Batcha, MD of Greenhouse Exports and considered close to the former minister.

The CBI sleuths questioned all of them throughout the day.

Chandolia was seen going inside the CBI headquarters in the morning. He was there till 7 pm.

After questioning his aides, investigators will grill Raja, sources said.

A CBI official said all documents recovered during the searches were being scrutinised. Sources said the 2G scam investigation so far had established there was a criminal conspiracy to favour a few telecom operators, who were awarded licenses and 2G spectrum.

The CBI is trying to find the money that was exchanged for the favours. Sources said the CBI had found out two hawala operators based in Delhi, who may have helped in sending money abroad.

The agency is focusing on one company, whose ownership was changed hastily. Sources suspect the new owners of the company may have been acting as ‘benami’ for a few politicians who benefitted from the scam.

The CBI sleuths also suspect another company of acting as a ‘benami’ for a politician. This company was awarded license for a central Indian state.