The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday searched the Delhi and Tamil Nadu homes of former telecom minister A. Raja, his close relatives as well as four of his associates in connection with the 2G spectrum probe, officials said. In a sweeping coordinated operation, the CBI also picked up Sadiq Basha, a Chennai realtor said to be close to Raja, after searching his house.
Besides, it raided the houses of Raja’s close relatives and associates in Tamil Nadu and the office of the trust run by his family members.
Raids also took place at the residences of Raja’s former private secretary R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, member telecom K. Sridhar and deputy director general, telecom, A.K. Srivastava.
It is learnt that CBI officials visited the Canara Bank branch in Perambalur, Raja’s native town, and conducted enquiries. Officials of the bank in Trichy could not confirm or deny the CBI officials visit.
The CBI team reached Raja’s 2-A Motilal Nehru Marg residence in the national capital around 7 a.m. Raids continued through the morning in New Delhi as well as a few places in Tamil Nadu, Raja’s home state.
“The raids are being held at five places (in Delhi) and we are searching further… Raids are still on at different locations. It’s too early to give an update,” CBI Director A.P. Singh told reporters here.
He said Raja was likely to be questioned soon.
While CBI officials in Chennai initially told IANS that they had no information on the raids, a police officer in Perambalur said CBI officials raided his residence.
The AIADMK – the major opposition party in Tamil Nadu – has also demanded Raja’s arrest under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
But the CBI offensive was not hailed by the opposition.
Saying the raids were a bit late, AIADMK MP V. Maitreyan said the former minister should be arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“I hope the CBI’s action is not an eyewash. Let us wait and see,” Maitreyan said while declining to comment on the possible impact the CBI’s action would have in the Tamil Nadu politics.
Other opposition leaders, including Prakash Javadekar from the BJP and Gurudas Dasgupta from the Communist Party of India (CPI), echoed him and said the raids were an “eyewash”.
Raja was forced to resign last month after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) indicted him in the spectrum allocation scam and for causing losses between Rs.58,000 crore ($12.8 billion) and Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) to the exchequer.
He is alleged to have sold spectrum licenses at rates much lower than the market.
The 2G spectrum saga had crippled parliament since Nov 10 as the opposition refused to give up its demand for a parliamentary probe into the scam.
