2G scam cases verdict awaited today: Here's all you need to know

Here's all you need to know about the 2G scam - one of the largest scams in India, which caused huge loss to the public exchequer.

New Delhi: After nearly seven years, a special CBI court in Delhi will on Thursday pronounce the verdict in several cases related to the alleged faulty allocation of the 2G spectrum licences during the UPA previous government led by Dr Manmohan Singh.

The verdict, which comes nearly seven years after the first arrest was made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2011, will decide that fate of former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and several others accused in the case.

Here's all that you need to know about the scam that rocked the Manmohan Singh govt:-

-One of the largest scams in India, the 2G spectrum case caused huge loss to the public exchequer. 

-The scam relates to the granting of 2G spectrum licence allocations in 2007-08

-According to a report by the CAG, the faulty allocation of 2G spectrum licences caused a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

-The CAG report said in 2007-2008, the 2G licences had been given to telecom operators at throwaway prices instead of allocation through a free and fair bidding process. 

-The 2G spectrum case scam involves several high-profile accused, including a former cabinet minister, bureaucrats, lawmakers and businessmen.

-The 2G spectrum case is basically a combination of three cases - two registered by the CBI and one by the Enforcement Directorate.

-One case concerns prosecution launched by the CBI against former Union telecom minister A Raja and others for criminal conspiracy and misuse of official position by public servants. 

-The other is a Rs 200-crore prevention of money laundering case registered by the ED against Raja and other individuals and companies.

-A Raja has denied any wrongdoing.

-He has claimed that all decisions were taken after apprising then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and were based on inputs from DoT, other Cabinet Ministers and the then Solicitor General. 

-He has also claimed that the CAG report was "flawed" and there has been no loss to the exchequer. 

-Raja stepped down in 2010 after the auditor's report and was arrested in 2011. 

-He was accused of cheating, forgery and conspiracy. 

-The chargesheet also said he misled then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The trial started soon after.

-Raja was released on bail after spending nearly a year in jail.

Who all are accused

A Raja, former telecom minister, Sidharath Behura, former telecom secretary,  RK Chandolia, IES officer, PS to telecom minister, Shahid Usman Balwa, managing director, Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, now Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt ltd; Vinod Goenka, director of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and managing director of DB Realty; Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd; Sanjay Chandra, managing director, Unitech Ltd; Unitech Wireless Ltd (Tamil Nadu); Gautam Doshi, group managing director, Reliance ADA group; Surendra Pipara, group president, Reliance ADA group; Hari Nair, vice president, Reliance ADA group; Reliance Telecom Ltd; Asif Balwa, director, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd; Rajiv Agarwal, director Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd; Karim Morani, director, MIS Cineyug Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd; Sharad Kumar, director/promoter, Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd; Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, director/promoter, Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd; IP Khaitan, promoter, Khaitan group; Kiran Khaitan, former director, Santa Trading Pvt Ltd.

Charges against accused

-A Raja along with Kanomozhi is accused of playing a major role in facilitating the 217-crore bribe from Swan Telecom to KTV.

-A Raja, along with Sidharath Behura, RK Chandolia, conspired to give benefits to private accused persons in the issuance of letters of intent, unified access services licences (UASL) and spectrum by the Department of Telecom.

-A Raja ensured there would be a cut-off date on the receipt and processing of the UASL applications so that the system can be manipulated to benefit favoured few

-The first come first serve policy was changed to a first compliance first serve one.