2G scam: CBI raids Niira Radia?s house, Kanimozhi?s NGO, others
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted raids in several locations in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu in the 2G Spectrum allocation scam, bringing under the ambit of suspicion DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi?s daughter Kanimozhi, herself an MP, and journalists.
Residences of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and former chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Pradip Baijal were raided in New Delhi.
CBI also raided the offices of Radia, Chairman of Vaishnavi Communications, a public relations organisation.
The raids were conducted in seven locations of Delhi and 27 places in Tamil Nadu, the reports said.
Baijal, who was TRAI Chairman between 2004-08, joined Radia’s firm in 2009.
In Chennai, raids were carried out in an NGO Tamil Maiyam, in which Kanimozhi is a director.
The office of an auditor of former Telecom Minister A Raja, Subramanyam, was also searched.
Raja?s native residence at Velur village at Perambalur was also raided.
His siblings residence at Tiruchirapalli and other close associates in Chennai, Tiruchirapalli and Perambalur districts were also raided by CBI officials.
The premise of senior journalist and Associate Editor of Tamil magazine ?Nakkeran?, Kamaraj, was also raided.
The residence of a Tamil TV channel reporter G L Narasimhan, believed to be close to Raja, at Tiruchirapalli was also raided.
Earlier, the CBI had raided the residences of former Telecommunications Minister A Raja in Delhi and Tamil Nadu in connection with the 2G scam.
The CBI reportedly seized three diaries from Raja?s residence that had cryptic numbers of transactions.
Raja was forced to quit as telecom minister last month after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found him responsible for 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.
Radia, whose agency handles public relations for the Tata Group and Reliance Industries, has been questioned by the government agencies that are probing her alleged role in the award of a number of telecom licences in 2008.
