2G spectrum case verdict updates: Raja, Kanimozhi, others acquitted; CBI to appeal in Delhi HC

The Aam Aadmi party leader Sanjay Singh today took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the acquittal of all the accused in the 2G spectrum scam case by a special court, saying it was "apparent that some foul play, some deal" has happened.

Speaking to reporters here, Singh said, "It is clear that Modi is supporting the corrupt."

"If the CBI failed to prove the charges against the accused then it is apparent that some foul play, some deal has happened due to which the accused are going unpunished in all the cases whether it is 2G case, Vyapam case, and Mallya," he said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan said the special court's verdict was "shocking" and a "shame".

In a series of tweets, Bhushan, who had argued for the PIL filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), on which the Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe, said "the acquittal of all 2G scam accused by trial court is grossly wrong and sends a signal that influential people are not

accountable in this country's judicial system."

"There was considerable evidence of benami licences, fixing of the 1st Come 1st served system & also bribes in this. Shame (sic)," he said.

A special court also criticised the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) over its submission that it was cheated by promoters of Essar Group and Loop Telecom Ltd by fraudulently obtaining 2G spectrum licences, saying the DoT was playing "victim".

Questioning the conduct of the DoT, it said if the department felt that the spirit of clause 8 of 2005 Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) guidelines was being violated by means of "excessive debt funding" by one licensee company to another, then it was free to amend its guidelines.

Tamil Nadu's main opposition DMK today hailed as 'historic' a Delhi court's verdict acquitting its leaders A Raja and Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum cases even as its arch-rival, the ruling AIADMK, said it was a fit case for appeal.

As the news about the CBI special court's verdict came, DMK cadres broke into celebrations across Tamil Nadu, bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets.

"A historic verdict has been delivered," DMK working president M K Stalin told reporters. Expressing relief and joy, Kanimozhi, a Rajya Sabha member and daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, said "I have been waiting these last six years for this day."

Dubbing her last six years as "harrowing and excruciating", she said in a statement that as the 2G episode was behind her she will do all she can to strengthen the party and work for the people of Tamil Nadu.

Enforcement Directorate will appeal against the judgement of the Special Court.

The Congress should not be elated over the 2G scam verdict as the matter of prosecuting "criminal conspirators is still open," Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev

Chandrasekhar said today.

He said he was not "disappointed" with the acquittal of former Telecom minister A Raja and DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi.

"Also Congress should not be so much elated, because the matter of prosecuting criminal conspirators is still open as the investigating agencies, CBI and ED, have already decided to move courts," the MP told PTI.

Senior Congress leader P C Chacko today said the special court verdict acquitting former telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum scam case underlined the stand taken by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the matter.

"Today's judgement of honourable CBI court underlines the stand taken by the JPC that the loss calculation (made by Comptroller and Auditor General) is erroneous and presumptive calculation is not correct," Chacko, who headed the JPC, which probed the 2G Spectrum scam, said here.

Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra today said that he is extremely grateful to the court's decision.

“I had complete faith in the judiciary from the start and I am extremely grateful that the honorable court has acquitted me of all charges. We had placed a robust defense rebutting each and every charge against us and today is a vindication of all I have stated in the past 7 years. There was no wrong-doing on my part or on the part of my companies. However the damage suffered by me and the companies continues to affect the health and financial status of my company and they continue to pay the price for this case having been foisted on us fraudulently and without any basis," he said.

Former AG Mukul Rohatgi, reacting to Subramanian Swamy's statement, said that Swamy is in habit of making wild and false allegations.

" I had appeared for some of these people at the time of grant of bail in SC, in 2012. After, I became AG, I had nothing to do with the case. To make personal allegations is meaningless," he said.

The special court said that CBI filed a "well choreographed charge sheet" containing incorrect facts which miserably failed to prove charges against the accused in 2G spectrum case.

Special judge O P Saini, who acquitted the accused facing trial in three separate cases lodged by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, said that in the CBI's charge sheet filed against former telecom minister A Raja and others, incorrectfacts were recorded and they were entitled to be set free.

Giving a body blow to the CAG's and CBI's estimation of huge loss in grant of 2G licences, a special court today held that some people "artfully" arranged few selected facts and created a scam "when there was none".

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report that created an uproar when the UPA was in power, had estimated that the 2G scam had caused an astronomical loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the state exchequer.

The CBI had alleged in its charge sheet that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of licences for 2G spectrum, which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.

Shiv Sena today said that BJP must clarify why it raised the 2G scam issue in such a big way. Sena MP Sanjay Raut wondered if the court verdict meant
that "there was no scam in the first place".

"Those who raised the allegation of scam are now ruling the country. It is up to them to clarify," Raut said, without naming any party.

The Congress has said that the 2G verdict will remain a black mark in the history of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the former CAG chief Vinod Rai should be prosecuted.

"A blind man can see. You know the CAG chief is today one of the strong advisors of the government, posted on various boards and organisations and is being rewarded for what he has done. That will remain a black mark in the history of CAG," Vadakkan said.

"He (Vinod Rai) should be prosecuted by the law of the land for creating such kind of excuses and cover-ups. I think he should be prosecuted," the Congress spokesperson told a private channel after the special courts verdict acquitting all the accused in the cases of 2G spectrum allocation scam.