2G Spectrum Case: A Timeline of Major Events

(A special court is all set to pronounce its verdict on the 2G scam that rocked the UPA government in 2011. This story has been republished from The Quint’s archives in light of the expected verdict on 21 December.)The verdict on the 2G Spectrum Scam is set to be delivered on 25 October. The scam involves politicians and other government officials who are believed to have made cheap deals with telecom companies for the allocation for licenses.Here’s a chronology of events that traces the history of the massive scam.Process of Allotment of 2G Spectrum Begins Under A RajaMay 2007: A Raja takes over as Telecom MinisterAug 2007: Department of Telecom (DoT) initiates process of allotment of 2G Spectrum and UAS Licences25 Sept 2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note on deadline for application being 1 October 20071 Oct 2007: DoT receives 575 applications by 46 firms2 Nov 2007: PM writes to Raja to ensure fair licence allocation and proper fee revision; Raja writes back to PM allegedly rejecting many of his suggestions22 Nov 2007: Finance Ministry writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adoptedAlso Read: 2G Spectrum Scam – From Raja to Kanimozhi, Meet the Key PlayersTelecom Watchdog Complains Against Illegalities10 Jan 2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first-come-first-serve basis, advancing cut-off date to 25 Sept. DoT later says those who would apply between 3:30 and 4:30 pm would be issued licences2008: Swan Telecom, Unitech and Tata Teleservices sell a part of their stakes at much higher rates to Etisalat, Telenor and DoCoMo respectively4 May 2009: NGO Telecom Watchdog complains to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the illegalities in the 2G spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom2009: CVC directs CBI to investigate the matter1 July 2009: Single judge of Delhi HC holds change of cut-off date as illegal21 Oct 2009: CBI files FIR against “unknown officers of DoT and unknown private persons/companies and others”22 Oct 2009: CBI raids DoT offices16 Nov 2009: CBI seeks help from DG of Income Tax for information on lobbyist Niira Radia and records pertaining to middlemen in awarding 2G spectrum licences20 Nov 2009: Information by IT dept shows role of corporate players in influencing policies of DoT via illegal means, shows Radia directly in touch with RajaRadia Tapes Go Public31 Mar 2010: CAG report notes “whole process of issue of licence lacked fairness and transparency”6 May 2010: Telephonic conversation between Raja and Radia made publicMay 2010: Government constitutes GoM for allocation of 3G spectrum, reducing DoT under Raja as mere implementing body18 Aug 2010: HC refuses to direct PM to decide on Janata Party chief Swamy’s complaint seeking sanction to prosecute Raja for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam13 Sept 2010: SC asks govt, Raja to reply within 10 days to three petitions alleging a Rs 70,000 crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 200824 Sept 2010: Swamy moves SC seeking direction to PM to sanction prosecution of RajaSC Pulls up CBI, Raja Resigns27 Sept 2010: Enforcement Directorate informs SC of probe against firms suspected to have violated FEMA, says can’t deny or confirm Raja’s involvement in the scamOct 2010: SC asks govt to respond to CAG report about the scam, pulls up CBI for its tardy progress in probe10 Nov 2010: CAG submits report on 2G spectrum to govt stating loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to exchequer11 Nov 2010: DoT files affidavit in SC; says CAG did not have the authority to question the policy decision as per which licences were issued to new players in 200814-15 Nov 2010: Raja resigns as Telecom Minister. Kapil Sibal given additional charge of Telecom MinistryRaja Sent to Jail, CBI Names Kanimozhi10 Feb 2011: Raja remanded to CBI custody for four more days by a special CBI court along with Balwa17-18 Feb 2011: Raja sent to Tihar Jail under judicial custody. Balwa jailed as well14 March 2011: Delhi HC sets up special court to deal exclusively with 2G cases29 March 2011: SC permits CBI to file chargesheet on 2 April instead of 31 March; two more persons — Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal arrested2 April 2011: CBI files its first chargesheet. Names Raja, Chandolia and Behura. Reliance ADAG Group Managing Director Gautam Doshi, its senior Vice President Hari Nair, Group President Surendra Pipara, Swan Telecom Promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka and Managing Director of Unitech Ltd Sanjay Chandra as accused. Three companies — Reliance Telecom Ltd, Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd — also chargesheeted25 April 2011: CBI files second chargesheet naming DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi, 4 others23 Oct 2011: Charges framed against all 17 accusedTrial Begins Against 17 Accused11 Nov 2011: Trial begins23 Nov 2011: SC grants bail to 5 corporate executives — Nair, Doshi, Pipara, Chandra and Goenka28 Nov 2011: Delhi HC grants bail to Kanimozhi, Kumar, Morani, Asif and Rajiv29 Nov 2011: Special court grants bail to Shahid Balwa1 Dec 2011: Chandolia gets bail from special court12 Dec 2011: CBI files third chargesheet. Names Essar Group promoters Anshuman and Ravi Ruia, its director (Strategy and Planning) Vikas Saraf, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I P Khaitan. Also chargesheets Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele HoldingSC Cancels 122 Licences, Swamy Moves SC Against Chidambaram2 Feb 2012: SC cancels 122 licences granted during Raja's tenure. Directs auctioning of licences in 4 months; SC leaves it to the special court to decide on Chidambaram within 2 weeks.2 Feb 2012: SC refuses to ask CBI to probe role of Chidambaram in 2G case and leaves it to the Special Court to decide the matter4 Feb 2012: Special Court dismisses Swamy's plea to make Chidambaram a co-accused23 Feb 2012: Swamy moves SC against the trial court order on Chidambaram. NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation also files application seeking probe against Chidambaram1 Mar 2012: Plea against Chidambaram and Law Minister Salman Khurshid for their alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam is listed for hearing in the SC4 Apr 2012: SC begins hearing plea against Chidambaram24 Apr 2012: SC reserves order on the maintainability of the plea for probe against Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum case24 Aug 2012: SC dismisses plea for probe against Chidambaram in the 2G case, says no prima facie material to show that Chidambaram got pecuniary benefitsCharges Framed9 December 2013: Amid protests, JPC report on 2G tabled in Lok Sabha25 April 2014: 2G kickback case: ED chargesheets Raja, Kanimozhi5 May 2014: Court records statement of Raja, who “Acted with the Prime Minister’s concurrence”31 October 2014: Charges framed in 2G-linked case10 November 2014: Final hearing from December 19CBI Files Assets Case Against Raja1 June 2015: Kalaignar TV got Rs 200 crores through 2G scam, says ED19 August 2015: CBI files assets case against Raja30 September 2015: SC dismisses Essar promoters’ plea3 November 2015: SC rejects Kanimozhi’s plea to quash charges against her7 October 2016: Entitled to be acquitted in 2G case: Kanimozhi19 April 2017: Special court concludes arguments(With inputs from PTI)(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? 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2G Spectrum Case: A Timeline of Major Events

The verdict on the 2G Spectrum Scam is set to be delivered on 25 October.

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Topics: 2G Scam A Raja