2G spectrum scam: Judge OP Saini's one-line order that sparked wild celebrations

Reuters photo

CHENNAI: All accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, were acquitted by a special CBI court on Thursday.

Special CBI judge OP Saini acquitted all accused stating that the prosecution "failed to prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt". I have absolutely no hesitation in holding that prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any accused: Saini said. 

Besides Raja and Kanimozhi, Special Judge O P Saini also acquitted Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa, Rajiv Aggarwal, Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar in connection with the case.

In its charge sheet, the ED had also named DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal as an accused in the case in which it had alleged that Rs 200 crore was paid to DMK-run Kalaignar TV.

In its final report, the ED had named 10 individuals and nine companies as accused and listed them in the charge sheet for the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The trial in 2G spectrum scam started six years ago in 2011 after the court had framed charges against 17 accused in the CBI case for offences that entailed punishment ranging from six months to life imprisonment.  

The alleged scam on the issuance of licences and allocation of 2G spectrum by the Department of Telecom occurred during the Congress-led UPA government's first tenure in 2008 but was widely reported in 2010 following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The court had in October 2011 framed charges against the accused under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using as genuine fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking bribe.

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.

All the accused facing trial in these cases had denied allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.