Unitech firm concealed info to avoid rejection: CBI

Unitech Wireless was ineligible to apply for 2G spectrum licences, but the company acquired eligibility after the grant of the licences.

Unitech Wireless was ineligible to apply for 2G spectrum licences, but the company acquired eligibility after the grant of the licences.

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The CBI in its first chargesheet said investigations have revealed, “Unitech group companies fraudulently concealed critical information to avoid rejection for being ineligible”. Unitech got licences for 22 circles in the country.

According to the CBI, Unitech Wireless MD Sanjay Chandra was a confidant of former telecom minister A Raja. “As a result, the applications of Unitech group companies were included in the consideration zone for award of licences despite inadequate spectrum in first-come-first-serve licensing regime” the chargesheet said.

The CBI has chargesheeted Chandra for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

Unitech Wireless representing all the 8 Unitech companies later merged into it, got spectrum in many circles ahead of other telecom players, who had applied for grant for spectrum.

“The allocation of new Unified Access Services (UAS) licences and spectrum, in this manner was in stark violation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommendations,” said the CBI in the chargesheet.

Elaborating the criminal conspiracy between Raja and Chandra, the CBI said licences were denied to several other companies, which were eminent real estate firms, and wanted to enter telecom business.

The chargesheet said Raja did not review the availability of spectrum circle-wise and granted spectrum to Unitech, against the advice of the Department of Telecommunications officers.