2G scam: Sibal moves motion for JPC

Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday moved the motion for appointment of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in the Rajya Sabha to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The government has formed a 30-member JPC into 2G scam, that includes Rajya Sabha members Sitaram Yechury, PJ Kurien, SS Ahluwalia, Jayanthi Natrajan, SC Mishra and RS Prasad.

The JPC will look into formulation of policy during the spectrum allocation in 2008.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday placed before the Supreme Court the status report of its ongoing probe into the 2G scam in a sealed cover.

CBI counsel KK Venugopal placed the report before a Supreme Court panel, comprising justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly, which expressed satisfaction at the ongoing probe.

?63 persons including promoters and CEOs of 10 companies have come under the scanner of the CBI in its probe into the 2G spectrum scam,? the advocate informed the court, while submitting the status report.

Additional solicitor general Indira Jaisingh, appearing for the central government which is also a party in the case, informed the court that the Union Law minister, advocating a special court to try the 2G scam case, has written to the Delhi High Court chief justice asking him to constitute a court and identify a judge for this purpose.

The apex court listed the matter for next hearing on March 15, asking the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to place its reports by March 10.

The CBI has already arrested several persons, including former Telecom minister A Raja, in the scam.

Raja was forced to resign as an Union minister in November last year following Opposition pressure after a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the 2G scam estimated at Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss to the country?s exchequer due to wrongful allotment of 2G Spectrum.

Raja is accused of criminal conspiracy and using his office as Telecom Minister to benefit a few telecom operators when 2G spectrum licences were being allocated in 2008 for mobile network.

He is currently languishing in the Tihar Jail at the end of his CBI custody.