CBI raids A Raja’s residences in Delhi and Tamil Nadu

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday raided the residences of former Telecom Minister A Raja in Delhi and Tamil Nadu in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam, media reports said quoting informed sources.

The CBI raids are also being carried out at the residences of four other telecom officials – former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja’s personal secretary R K Chandolia, member telecom K Sridhar and DoT deputy director general A K Srivastava,

Raja was forced to quit as telecom minister last month after a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the watchdog of the Union Government, found him guilty of undervaluing 2G spectrum and circumventing the rules to favour companies who did not meet the eligibility criteria for spectrum licences.

The CAG report said that the exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the allocation of 2G spectrum.

According to media reports, the CBI might call Raja for questioning.

The raids took place a day after a judge in the Madras High Court suggested that Raja had tried to influence a case that he was hearing, which, Raja, however, denied.

The allegation led to the suspension of a senior lawyer, known to be a close associate of Raja, from the Tamil Nadu Bar Council.