Raja finally moves court

After the government and private telecom operators it was A Raja's turn on Friday to question the Supreme Court's verdict cancelling 122 2G-spectrum licences allocated in January 2008 during his tenure as telecom minister. Satya Prakash reports. Raja questions SC order

After the government and private telecom operators it was A Raja's turn on Friday to question the Supreme Court's verdict cancelling 122 2G-spectrum licences allocated in January 2008 during his tenure as telecom minister.

Raja, who has been in Tihar jail for more than a year for alleged irregularities in allocation of the licences, moved the apex court to seek a review of its February 2 verdict on the grounds that the court had condemned him without giving him any hearing. He said the verdict affected his reputation, which is his fundamental right.

Cancelling the licences, the SC said, "the exercise undertaken by officers of the DoT (department of telecommunications) between September 2007 and March 2008 under the leadership of the then telecom minister was wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest apart from being violative of the doctrine of equality."

Raja's petition questioned the validity of the judgment that criticised him for his actions and inaction; alleged manipulations; and for alleged favouritism.

Insisting that his actions were legal, Raja said, "These findings have been made in the judgment against the petitioner (Raja) when he was not a party in the petitions, without notice to him and without hearing him or considering any explanation which could have been given by him for his conduct," the DMK MP's petition said.

Describing it as violation of the "principles of natural justice" and "judicial norms", Raja contended that the findings of the verdict against him were bound to prejudice his defence in the 2G-spectrum scam case trial in a special CBI court.

"The judgment… in as much as it condemns his action and inaction as telecom minister in numerous places is in violation of the basic principles of fair play and justice and affording a person an opportunity of being heard before he is condemned," the former telecom minister said.