CBI team to go to Mauritius to track 2G scam money trail

New Delhi (PTI) - A team of CBI, India's premier
investigation agency, officers would be leaving for Mauritius
next week to track the trail of money invested in various
telecom companies involved in the 2G spectrum allocation scam,
CBI told the Supreme Court on Friday.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal appearing for the
investigating agency said the team would be leaving on May 16
and will file its report before the court on the investigation
done by it.
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly
directed the agency to file its report on the probe into the
money trail by May 31 and posted the matter for further
hearing on July 6.
The bench also directed the CBI to expedite its
enquiry against a journalist who had allegedly tried to bribe
an Enforcement Directorate official who was inquiring into 2G
scam.SC-TELECOM 2 LAST
Venugopal also informed the court that teams of ED
officals would also be going to five foreign countries in
tracking the money trail involved in 2G scam.
The bench also wanted to know from him about the
progress into the probe based on the status report filed by
the CBI relating to 10 destinations abroad.
"Some team is going to Mauritus on May 16. Is there a
a plan for the CBI team to go to any other destination?" the
bench asked.
"It is an untiring crusade," the bench said when
advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for and NGO, Centre for
Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), said top people from the
telecom companies allegedly involved in the scam should be
charge sheeted.
"How can they (CBI) wash its hand. All people right to
the top should be charge sheeted," he said.
The bench also said that arguments of the petitioner
NGO seeking appointment of committee to assist the court in
monitoring the case required serious consideration.
The CBI also placed before the bench its probe report
on journalist Upendra Rai against whom a complaint was filed
by ED official for allegedly trying to bribe him.
The bench after going through the report said that
findings were "quite serious" and directed the agency to
expedite the inquiry against him.
The court asked the agency to submit its report on
July 6.
The apex court had earlier agreed to look into the
issue of Rai, director (News) Sahara News Network, over
allegations that he had tried to bribe one of the ED officers
by offering to give him Rs.two crore to benefit corporate
lobbyist Niira Radia.