CEO & promoter of ten companies under scruitny in 2G scam:CBI

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) CEOs and promotors of ten
companies are among 63 persons who have come under the scanner
for their alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation
scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday
told the Supreme Court of India.
The court allayed apprehension of the petitioners that
the alleged involvement of Tata Group in the 2G scam was not
probed properly.
The court said the CBI report has "indicated" about
the probe into the allegation made by the NGO, Centre
for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) against Tata's.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO,
alleged that several issues against the Tata's including the
land gifted to Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) in Chennai,
which found mention in the transcript of the tapped
conversation of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, has not been
touched by the CBI in its probe.
"They (CBI) are acting in a manner which is not
creating suspicion. If there is any deviation in the probe
then we would give you opportuinity to point it out," a bench
comprising Supreme Court Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly
said.
"The case is progressing in the right direction. Prima
facie there is no fault in its investigation. We are quite
conscious that CBI must probe every aspect of the case. It is
indicated in the report and the report has taken care of your
concern," the bench said while dispelling the apprehension of
the NGO.
"You keep something for the future," the bench said
when Bhushan contended that there were several loose ends in
the CBI probe.
The court's remark came after the CPIL, on whose plea
CBI inquiry was directed, said the agency has questioned the
top honchos of Reliance ADAG Group and Essar but it has not
investigated direct involvement of Tata Group in the case and
its quid pro quo arrangement with DMK, the party to which it
had given a plot in Chennai.
Bhushan said Y P Singh, the officer of the rank of Jt
Director in CBI, who was investigating the case, has recently
sought voluntariy retirement to join a private company
associated with ICC's anti-corruption unit.
"This is a disturbing thing that an officer of Joint
Director level, who was heading the team of investigation, has
taken retirement to join a company associated with ICC which
is being headed by a minister in the government. The company
is the one which had received Rs 100 crore from Sahid Usman
Balwa who is one of the accused in the scam," Bhushan said.
The CBI, however, objected to the statement of Bhushan
and said that such remarks should not be made orally and it
had to file an affidavit so that it could be countered by it.
At the outset, Venugopal placed the report in a sealed
cover on the progress of the probe and various steps taken by
the agency.
"Promoters and CEO of ten companies are among 63
persons whose roles are being investigated so far," Venugopal
said without taking the names of the persons and the company
whose names were mentioned in the progress report filed by the
agency.
In an apparent reference to former telecom Minister A
Raja, who is in jail in connection with the scam, Venugopal
said that in the list of 63, item number 20 is the name of an
MP.