CBI to indict Raja on corruption, forgery charges

The CBI is set to file its chargesheet against A Raja and top executives of some telecom firms on charges of corruption, money-laundering, cheating and forgery in the 2G scam.

The CBI is set to file its chargesheet against A Raja and top executives of some telecom firms on charges of corruption, money-laundering, cheating and forgery in the 2G scam.

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In its submission before the SC on Wednesday, the CBI said it would file the chargesheet before the designated court by March 31.

Senior counsel KK Venugopal placed the agency's latest status report on the probe and added the chargesheet would be the first final report to be filed in the case.

"The first chargesheet will be against Raja and two companies. Chargesheets will be filed subsequently against more persons," Venugopal told the bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly.

The bench is monitoring the CBI and Enforcement Directorate's probe into the scam. The court asked the agency to submit its next status report on March 29. As per its earlier order, the CBI would also have to produce the chargesheet so that the court can scan the report before it's filed.

"Look out for the best man. We want the most competent person to be appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor," the bench told Venugopal adding it reposed full "faith and trust" in the senior counsel.

Venugopal submitted the agency was also probing a land deal in Chennai involving Tatas and DMK. He said the CBI was also probing the national security angle of the scam.

The court has also asked CBI to place before it transcripts of lobbyist Niira Radia's telephonic conversations tapped by the I-T department.

FCFS policy
The bench has sought a clarification from attorney general GE Vahanvati on how the first-come-first-serve (FCFS) policy evolved in allocation of spectrum. It wants the AG to explain whether TRAI had suggested it or was it the department of telecom's (DoT).

The bench also asked him to explain DoT secretary's written statement of 2007 in which he had said there was abundant spectrum for allotment. This was against TRAI's opinion that spectrum was scarce.