New Delhi: A special court on Thursday acquitted 19 accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi in the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering case relating to the 2G scam.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

In its charge sheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.


Following is the chronology of events related to the scam


May 2007: A Raja takes over as Telecom Minister


Aug 2007: Process of allotment of 2G Spectrum along with UAS Licences initiated by Department of Telecom (DoT)


Sept 25, 2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note fixing deadline for application as October 1, 2007


Oct 1, 2007: DoT receives 575 applications by 46 firms


Nov 2, 2007: PM writes to Raja to ensure fair licence allocation and proper revision of fee. Raja writes to PM allegedly rejecting many of his recommendations


Nov 22, 2007: Finance Ministry writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adopted


Jan 10, 2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first—come—first—serve basis (FCFS), preponing cut—off date to September 25. Later in the day, DoT says those who apply between 3.30 and 4.30 pm would be issued licences


2008: Swan Telecom, Unitech and Tata Teleservices sell off a part of their stakes at much higher rates to Etisalat, Telenor and DoCoMo respectively


May 4, 2009: NGO Telecom Watchdog complains to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the illegalities in the 2G spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom


2009: CVC directs CBI to investigate the matter.


July 1, 2009: Single judge of Delhi HC holds change of cut—off date as illegal. S—tel had moved the petition


Oct 21, 2009: CBI files FIR against “unknown officers of DoT and unknown private persons/ companies and others“


Oct 22, 2009: CBI raids DoT offices


Nov 16, 2009: CBI seeks help from Directorate General of Income Tax for information on lobbyist Niira Radia and records pertaining to middlemen in award of 2G spectrum licences


Nov 20, 2009: Information by IT dept shows role of corporate players in influencing policies of DoT via illegal means. Shows Radia directly in touch with Raja


Mar 31, 2010: CAG report notes “whole process of issue of licence lacked fairness and transparency“


May 6, 2010: Telephonic conversation between Raja and Radia made public by the media


May 2010: Government constitutes GoM for allocation of 3G spectrum, reducing DoT under Raja as mere implementing body


Aug 18, 2010: HC refuses to direct PM to decide on a complaint by Janata Party chief Swamy seeking sanction to prosecute Raja for his alleged involvement in 2G scam


Sept 13, 2010: SC asks government, Raja to reply within 10 days to three petitions alleging a Rs 70,000 crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 2008


Sept 24, 2010: Swamy moves SC seeking direction to PM to sanction prosecution of Raja


Sept 27, 2010: Enforcement Directorate informs SC of probe against firms suspected to have violated FEMA. Says can’t deny or confirm now Raja’s involvement in the scam


Oct 2010: SC asks government to respond to CAG report about the scam. Pulls up CBI for its tardy progress in probe


Nov 10, 2010: CAG submits report on 2G spectrum to government stating loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to exchequer


Nov 11, 2010: DoT files affidavit in SC; says CAG did not have the authority to question the policy decision as per which licence were issued to new players in 2008


Nov 14—15, 2010: Raja resigns as Telecom Minister. Kapil Sibal given additional charge of Telecom Ministry


Feb 10, 2011: SC asks CBI to bring under its scanner corporate houses which were beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum. Raja remanded to CBI custody for four more days by a special CBI court along with Balwa


Feb 17—18, 2011: Raja sent to Tihar Jail under judicial custody. Balwa too jailed


Feb 24, 2011: CBI tells Delhi Court Balwa facilitated transaction to DMK—run Kalaignar TV


March 14, 2011: The Delhi High Court sets up special court to deal exclusively with 2G cases


March 29, 2011: SC permits CBI to file charge sheet on April 2 instead of March 31. Two more persons — Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal arrested


April 2, 2011: CBI files its first charge sheet. 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 made accused. Three companies — Reliance Telecom Ltd, Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd — also charge sheeted


April 25, 2011: CBI files second charge sheet naming DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi, 4 others


Oct 23, 2011: Charges framed against all 17 accused


Nov 11, 2011: Trial begins


Nov 23, 2011: SC grants bail to 5 corporate executives — Nair, Doshi, Pipara, Chandra and Goenka


Nov 28, 2011: Delhi HC grants bail to Kanimozhi, Kumar, Morani, Asif and Rajiv


Nov 29, 2011: Special court grants bail to Shahid Balwa


Dec 1, 2011: Chandolia gets bail from special court


Dec 12, 2011: CBI files third charge sheet


Jan 31, 2012: SC says filing complaint under the PC Act is a constitutional right and the competent authority should take a decision on giving the sanction within four months


Feb 2, 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


Feb 2, 2012: SC refuses to ask CBI to probe role of Chidambaram in 2G case and leaves it to the Special Court to decide the matter


Feb 4, 2012: Special Court dismisses Swamy's plea to make Chidambaram a co-accused


Feb 23, 2012: Swamy moves SC against the trial court order on Chidambaram. NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation also files application seeking probe against Chidambaram


Mar 1, 2012: Plea against Chidambaram and Law Minister Salman Khurshid for their alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam is listed for hearing in the SC


Apr 4, 2012: SC begins hearing plea against Chidambaram


Apr 24, 2012: SC reserves order on the maintainability of the plea for probe against Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum case


Aug 24, 2012: SC dismisses plea for probe against Chidambaram in the 2G case, says no prima facie material to show that Chidambaram got pecuniary benefits


December 9, 2013: Amid protests, JPC report on 2G tabled in Lok Sabha


April 25, 2014: 2G kickback case: ED chargesheets Raja, Kanimozhi


May 5, 2014: Court records statement of Raja | ‘Acted with the Prime Minister’s concurrence’


October 31, 2014: Charges framed in 2G-linked case


November 10, 2014: Final hearing from December 19


June 1, 2015: Kalaignar TV got Rs. 200 crores through 2G scam, says ED


August 19, 2015: CBI files assets case against Raja


November 3, 2015: SC rejects Kanimozhi’s plea to quash charges against her


October 7, 2016: Entitled to be acquitted in 2G case: Kanimozhi


April 19, 2017: Special court concludes arguments


October 25, 2017:  Special Court adjourns case to November 7, says it may decide the date of judgement on that day


November 7, 2017: The court again postpones decision on fixing a date for the pronouncement of the verdict in the 2G spectrum allocation case


December 5, 2017:  Special Court says it would deliver its verdict on December 21 in the 2G spectrum allocation graft cases