2G: CBI says norms violated during NDA rule

CBI on Thursday told the Supreme Court that probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam has shown "violation" of norms during NDA regime when late Pramod Mahajan and Arun Shourie were the telecom ministers and said the then Finance Minister Jaswant Singh would be examined.

The agency also told the court that the element of "coercion" by Dayanidhi Maran, who was the Telecom Minister between May 2004 and May 2007, has not been revealed during investigation so far into his alleged role in connection with the sale of Aircel to Malaysia-based Maxis group.

However, Senior advocate K K Venugopal appearing for CBI, said investigation has revealed that the company which was taking over Aircel was in contact with Maran, a DMK MP and his brother.

"Jaswant Singh would be examined in due course," Venugopal told a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly.

Singh was heading the Group of Ministers(GoM) on the issue of limited mobility and unified licencing during the relevant period.

The agency, which filed a fresh status report on its probe, said that it was investigating the allocation of spectrum during 2001-07 when Mahajan, Shourie and Maran (UPA 1) were the Telecom Ministers.

It informed the court that the probe in this regard would be completed by the end of this month.

The CBI informed that during Mahajan's tenure, members of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have been meeting the then telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh in connection with the Cellular mobile service issue.

Mahajan was Telecom minister between 2001 and 2003 while Shourie held this portfolio from January 2003 to May 2004.