Raiding Radia,CBI lands up at DMKs doorstep

CBI probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam widened its net.

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A week after the raids at the residences of former Union Telecom Miniser A Raja and his aides,the Central Bureau of Investigation probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam widened its net on Wednesday and searched 34 premises in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu.

While corporate lobbyist Niira Radia,former TRAI chief Pradip Baijal and two alleged hawala operators were among those who were raided and questioned in Delhi,a Catholic priest who is associated with DMK MP and M Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi and a senior Tamil journalist were among those raided in Tamil Nadu. Though the raids that reached DMKs inner circle sent shockwaves across the party,it chose not to react or make a statement.

Wednesdays searches were based on the clues the investigating agency gathered from the raids on Raja,his associate Sadhick Batcha and others on December 8.

The agency,suspecting a money trail,searched the offices of brothers Mahesh and Alok Jain,alleged hawala operators in the Capital. Both Radia and Baijal,an IAS officer who was TRAI chairman before joining her,were questioned at length by the CBI officers.

The multi-city operation involving over 150 investigators began at 7 am in Tamil Nadu and Delhifrom Radias Aakash Ganga farmhouse and Vaishnavi Corporate Communications office in Delhi to the premises of DMK fellow-travellers and Rajas associates in Chennai,Trichy and his hometown Perambalur.

But what stunned the party circles was the search on NGO Tamil Maiyam and its founder Father Catholic priest Father Jegath Gasper Raj. Kanimozhi is on the board of the NGO which has been organising social events including a Tamil folk arts and culture function called Chennai Sangamam and the Chennai marathon. Kanimozhi has also been an ambassador for these events and the Chennai Sangamam was perceived to be her pet project.

CBI officials also searched the Chennai residence of A Kamaraj,associate editor of Tamil bi-weekly Nakkeeran,a popular periodical close to the DMK and Karunanidhi. Kamarajs wife Jayasudha works with Radias Vaishnavi Communications. Kamarajs house in Perambalur,Rajas native district,was also searched during the day.

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Five companies allegedly linked to Rajas wife,too,were raided Green House Promoters,Equas Pvt Ltd,Kadirkamam Estates Pvt Ltd,Sivakamam Tradings and Kovai Shelters Pvt Ltd. Rajas wife Parameshwari is either on the board of these companies or has allegedly invested in these. The MD of Green House and a Raja associate,Sadhik Batcha,was raided on December 8.

The other companies allegedly linked to Rajas family and were raided today are: AGM Investments and Finances Pvt Ltd,Wellcom Communications India,Genex Exim-venture,Sally Thermoplastics Pvt Ltd,Sally Road Systems,Ayyappa Enterprises (all based in Tamil Nadu).

The CBI also raided Dr A Ramachandran,Director in Climate Change and Adaption Department at Anna University,Rajas brother Andimuthu Kaliaperumal,Rajas accountant Ganapathy Subramanian and Raj TV journalist G L Narasimhan.

CBI Spokesperson DIG Binita Thakur said,These raids were a follow-up of previous raids. We have recovered several important documents in the raids. The CBI had searched the residences of Raja and his four close associates,including his personal secretary R K Chandolia,on December 8.

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The agency had registered a case on October 21,2009 against unknown Department of Telecom officials and private persons and companies for causing a loss of Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer in the 2G spectrum allocation.