CBI grills Niira Radia over 2G scam

Official sources said a team of the CBI reached Radia’s farm house at Chhattarpur around 10 am to question her on several issues including her alleged involvement in the spectrum allocation.

The CBI sleuths had earlier carried out searches at Radia’s residence and the premises of her firm,Vaishnavi Communications,here.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also grilled her on allegations of money laundering.

Radia hit the spotlight after her taped telephonic conversations with various influential people including industrialists,politicians and journalists became public.

The Supreme Court is closely monitoring the multi-agency probe in the allocation of 2G spectrum to certain Telecom firms.

The apex court has asked CBI and ED to submit status reports on their probe to it by February 10,when the 2G spectrum case will come up for hearing.

Both Radia and Raja were served notices by the CBI on Monday.

It is alleged Niira Radia lobbied to get Raja the Telecom portfolio. Raja’s subsequent distribution of 2G spectrum on a first-come,first serve basis is at the centre of a massive investigation for being given away cheap,thereby incurring the national exchequer a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore,acording to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Radia,who is also the owner of three other PR firms,has clients like industrialists Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani.

Yesterday,the CBI grilled former TRAI chief Pradeep Baijal who now works in one of Radia’s firms.

Radia and Baijal’s homes,along with those of Raja and his kins and business associates were searched by the CBI earlier this month.