SC directs CBI to go ahead with 2G scam probe

Indian Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal was on Friday ticked off by the Indian apex Court for undermining the Comptroller and Auditor General''s (CAG) report in the 2G scam and told to "behave with some sense of responsibility".

"It is unfortunate. The minister should behave with some sense of responsibility," a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said.

The court''s remark came after Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy contended that Sibal''s statement might influence the investigation carried out by the Indian premier investigative agency, CBI under the supervision of the apex court.

Sibal had termed as "utterly erroneous and without any basis" the estimated loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer projected by the CAG on account of allocation of 2G spectrum to telecom operators by his predecessor A Raja.

The apex court directed the CBI to go ahead with the probe into the scam without getting influenced by any body''s statement.

"In our opinion, the CBI which is conducting investigation into the 2G scam is expected to carry out the probe without being influenced by the statement made by anybody, anywhere, including the press," the bench said.

"We do not think that CBI should get influenced by anybody as the case is under the virtual supervision of the this court," it said

Raja was forced to resign as Telecom minister in the wake of the allegations of irregularities in the spectrum allocation.

The court indicated that the telecom companies, which have been illegally granted licence or have failed to comply with their roll-out obligations, cannot get away with just paying penalty and their licences might be cancelled.

The Court asked Swamy to file an application seeking to restrain the Department of Telecommunication from accepting the penalty from the erring companies after it was pointed out that the telecom companies are getting away after paying small fines imposed by the government.

The private telecom companies which were issued notices included Etisalat, Uninor, Loop Telecom, Videocon, S-Tel, Allianz Infra, Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices, Sistema Shyam Teleservices, Dishnet Wireless and Vodafone-Essar.

Swamy submitted that "process of compounding of illegality has began as the erring companies are being let off after paying small fine." .