The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plans to file separate charge-sheets against Swan Telecom (now Etisalat DB), Loop Telecom and Unitech Wireless by end-March 2011 in relation to the 2G spectrum issue, say news reports.
The three charge-sheets will also charge A. Raja, former Minister of Telecommunications and IT, his personal secretary R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and other officials in the communications ministry for allegedly awarding licences and spectrum to ineligible companies, including these three, under questionable circumstances in 2008.
The CBI believes that several companies conspired with Raja to obtain spectrum at below-market prices in 2008. A major part of its investigation is focused on a decision taken on January 10, 2008 that only those companies who had applied before September 25, 2007 were entitled to airwaves. Swan is alleged to have benefited from this policy change.
The other major element of the CBI investigation is that companies that were ineligible, because of alleged violation of technical conditions such as paid-up capital and telecom cross-holding rules, had obtained spectrum at the behest of Raja. Swan is being investigated on this count as well, along with Loop and Unitech.
