2G scam: Arun Shourie to appear before CBI

New Delhi, Feb 21 (ANI): Senior BJP leader and former Telecom Minister Arun Shourie will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today in connection with its probe into the 2G scam.

He was asked by the CBI to join the 2G scam investigations in connection with the preliminary inquiry registered by the agency following Supreme Court direction.

Earlier on February 8, Shourie dismissed the Justice Patil Report on the 2G scam, terming it "fabrication" concocted by Union Communication and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal in defence of former Telecom Minister A. Raja.

The Justice Patil Committee was appointed in December to look into whether officials in the Telecom Ministry had violated government procedures and guidelines for allocating spectrum since 1991.

Sibal quoting from the Justice Patil Report, on February 4 said all decisions on the allocation of 2G spectrum starting from 2003 were incorrect, and added that the first-come-first-serve policy was introduced by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government and went against the decision of the cabinet at that time.

Sibal said the findings on procedural lapses have been sent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for accessing the criminal culpability in the scam.

The CBI, in its first information report, had mentioned the loss as Rs.22, 000 crore based on findings of the Central Vigilance Commission.

Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs.1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue. (ANI)