By IANS,
New Delhi : Following is the chronology of events leading to the Supreme Court order cancelling 122 telecom licenses given out during the tenure of former communications minister A. Raja
Nov 29, 2008: Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking sanction to prosecute Raja under the Prevention of Corruption Act
May 4, 2009: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) receives complaints on irregularities in spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom
May 2010: NGO Centre for Public Interest litigation (CPIL) moves Delhi High Court seeking CBI probe into scam
Sep 13, 2010: Supreme Court asks Raja and central government to respond within 10 days to three petitions of CPIL and others on allegation there was a Rs.70,000 crore scam
Sep 24, 10: Swamy goes to SC seeking direction to the PM to sanction Raja’s prosecution
Oct 8, 10: SC seeks government’s response on CAG’s report on the scam
Oct 29, 10: CBI pulled up by SC for its slow probe in the scam
Nov 10, 10: CAG pegs loss to exchequer at Rs.1.76 lakh crore
Nov 11, 10: DoT questions CAG’s authority to question policy decision on 2G licences in SC by filing an affidavit
Nov 14, 10: Raja resigns from the post of Telecom Minister
Nov 20, 10: Rejecting charge of inaction on Swamy’s complaint, PM files affidavit in SC
Nov 25, 10: CBI pulled down by SC for not questioning Raja
Dec 2, 10: SC comes down heavily on Raja for bypassing PM’s advice to put off allocation of 2G spectrum by a few days
Dec 8, 10: SC favours probe into spectrum allocation since 2001 when first-come-first-served was the norm for spectrum allocation
Dec 8, 10: SC orders setting up of a special court to look into 2G scam
Feb 2 2011: Raja arrested
Sep 15, 11: Swamy goes to CBI court seeking Chidambaram to be made a co-accused
Sep 22, 11: CBI blames telecom department and defends Chidambaram in SC
Oct 10, 11: SC reserves order on Swamy’s plea for a probe into the alleged role of Chidambaram in the 2G scam
Oct 22, 11: Special CBI court frames charges against all 17 accused including Raja
Nov, 11: Except Raja and Behura, 12 others get bail
Dec 12, 11: CBI submits third charge sheet including names of Essar promoters Anshuman, Ravi Ruia, Essar Group director strategy and planning Vikas Saraf, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I.P. Khaitan as accused
Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding also recognised as accused
Jan 31, 12: SC accepts Swamy’s petition against the PMO says filing complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act is a constitutional right
Feb 2: Supreme Court orders cancellation of 122 licenses given in 2008, gives companies four months to cease operations