Raja sent to Tihar,diaries still missing

While Behura and Chandolia were sent to Tihar Jail in February as the CBI did not seek their further remand,Raja was also sent to the high-security prison.

The CBI claims diaries and registers of Raja’s office are yet to be traced. They have been charged under Section 120 B of IPC and 13(1) (d),13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the CBI,the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy with private persons and abused their official position as public servants in granting Letters of Intent for Unified Access Service (UAS) licences to a few selected companies at a nominal rate.

They rejected the applications of other companies without any vaild reason,allegedly causing a loss of Rs 22,000 crore to the government.

To prove the conspiracy,the agency said Swan Telecom,which was allotted UAS licences for 13 circles for Rs 1,537 crore,sold 45 per cent of its share to Etilsalat for Rs 4,200 crore.

Similarly,Unitech was allotted licences for 22 circles for Rs 1,658 crore,but it sold 60 per cent of its shares to Telenor of Norway for Rs 6,100 crore.

Shahid Usman Balwa,director of DB Realty,has already been arrested and is in CBI custody. DB Realty had acquired Swan Telecom soon after it had bagged the licence.

CBI argued that kickbacks were paid by “Swan Telecom to the then Union Minister and his people as a reward for getting the Unified Access Licence”.