By IANS,
New Delhi : As former communications minister A. Raja was Saturday formally charged for criminal breach of trust, bribery, forgery and cheating in the controversial allocation of mobile phone spectrum and DMK leader and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi was also charged with criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, here is a chronology of the case:
– Oct 22, 2009: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) files a first information report (FIR) against unidentified officials of the department of telecommunications on the 2G spectrum (airwaves) auction, based on a reference from the Central Vigilance Commission.
– November first week, 2010: Media publishes contents of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the 2G spectrum auction. The CAG said the public exchequer suffered a notional loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) due to faulty auction procedure under Raja in 2008.
– Nov 9: Protests start by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Left and other parties, which demand a probe by parliament’s joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into the spectrum scandal which washed away the five-week winter session of parliament.
– Nov 14: Raja submits his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, claims he did no wrong.
– Nov 16: CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation tabled in both houses of parliament amidst uproarious scenes.
– Dec 8: The CBI raids the house of Raja and premises of his former aides Siddharth Behura and R.K. Chandolia in New Delhi. It also raids houses and offices of Raja’s relatives, associates and some journalists and social workers in Tamil Nadu linked to the DMK and Raja. The CBI claims recovering incriminating documents.
– Dec 15: The CBI raids the houses and offices of Niira Radia, a corporate lobbyist linked with Raja. She is subsequently questioned by the CBI several times.
– Dec 24-25, 2010 and Jan 31, 2011: The CBI questions Raja in New Delhi.
– Feb 2, 2011: The CBI arrests Raja, Chandolia and Behura.
– April 2: The CBI files charges against three firms and nine people – Raja, Chandolia, Behura, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, director Vinod Goenka, Unitech Wireless’ Sanjay Chandra and three others.
– April 20: The court denies bail to Goenka, Chandra and three other honchos.
– April 25: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi named co-conspirator, along with Sharad Kumar of Kalaignar TV, Karim Morani of Cineyug Films and directors of Kusegaon, Asif Balwa and Rajeev B. Agarwal.
– May 20: Kanimozhi’s bail plea rejected. She is sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail. Sharad Kumar also sent to jail.
– June 20: The Supreme Court refuses Kanimozhi’s bail plea.
– July 6: The CBI files a status report in the Supreme Court, alleging that DMK leader and former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran forced Aircel telecom company’s promoter C. Sivasankaran to sell his stake in the firm to the Maxis group considered close to the Maran family.
– July 7: Maran resigns from the union cabinet as textiles minister.
– July 25: Arguments on charge begin. Raja seeks to make prime minister and former finance minister and present Home Minister P. Chidambaram witnesses.
– Sep 22: The CBI defends Chidambaram in Supreme Court, blames department of telecommunications for all wrongs.
– Sep 26: The CBI moves plea for framing fresh charge of criminal breach of trust against Raja, Chandolia and Behura.
– Sep 29: The probe agency gives a virtual clean chit to Tata and Videocon group.
– Oct 9: The CBI files FIR against Maran and his brother.
– Oct 22: Court finds prima facie evidence to put on trial all 17 accused, including Raja, 13 other arrested individuals and three companies, on various counts like criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating and forgery.