New Delhi:
The special CBI court on Thursday acquitted all accused in the 2G spectrum scam case. The court verdict has come as a huge sigh of relief for former telecom minister A. Raja, DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter M. K. Kanimozhi and former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura who were the main accused in this case.
Others acquitted in the case are former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair.
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 offenses that entailed punishment ranging from six months to life imprisonment.
Mr Raja was accused of allocating airwaves and licenses for cellphone networks in exchange for kickbacks and causing the state a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. The Time magazine ranked the 2G scam as the world's second-biggest abuse of executive power.
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.
Here are the highlights of the 2G verdict:
#All the people of the industry who were accused have suffered enough, licenses cancelled, they were also unable to travel abroad: Mukul Rohatgi,former Attorney General
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
#Tamil Nadu: DMK supporters distribute sweets in celebration in Coimbatore after the acquittal of all the accused in #2GScamVerdict by Delhi's Patiala House Court.
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
#We are very happy that justice has prevailed. It is a big day for the DMK family. It is an answer to all the blames & the problems we faced: Kanimozhi after her acquittal
# I am sure that the investigative agencies will have a close look at it (the judgement & acquittal of accused) & decide what has to be done: Arun Jaitley
#We are yet to receive complete judgement. We will study it, take legal opinion and decide future action, says #CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal on #2GVerdict
# The acquittal of all the accused by the special court has brought happiness to us. The verdict further proves that there was no wrong done. All this has been proved: MK Stalin, DMK Working President
# Each & every case of spectrum allocation was quashed by SC (in 2012) as arbitrary & unfair, the policy was quashed as unfair & intended to cause loss to GoI & the govt was directed to have a fresh policy by which an auction would take place: Arun Jaitley #2GScamVerdict
#Congress leaders are treating this judgement as some kind of a badge of honor & a certification that it was an honest policy: Arun Jaitley
#This was a corrupt & dishonest policy, which has already been upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012: Arun Jaitley
# We are saying that the PM should come to the house and give a clarification, this govt was formed on the basis that UPA was embroiled in 2G & other scams, but now it has been proved that it was just a scam of lies by the opposition: Kapil Sibal, Congress
##WATCH: Former PM Manmohan Singh says, 'the court judgement has to be respected. I'm glad that the court has pronounced that the massive propaganda against UPA was without any foundation.' #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/9WAhwjekph
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
#We're relieved of the huge tension we had. What kept us going was that we knew all along that Law of the land will be upheld. We knew that if there will be a fair trial it will give us the justice: Hussain Balwa, brother of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa
#All acquitted in the case will have to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 5 lakhs each. This is done to ensure their presence in a higher appellate court if the verdict is challenged
#If the Government has concrete evidence, then they should take the matter to a higher court: Anna Hazare #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/wkTmT9JJm3
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
#BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose PIL CBI probe was ordered in 2G case, says Govt should appeal in high court against acquittals #2GVerdict
# DMK supporters marching and celebrating outside Patiala House Court after the Court's pronouncement of the verdict. All accused have been acquitted.
#WATCH: Former Telecom Minister A Raja after being acquitted in the #2GScam pic.twitter.com/hmu8oWOZeD
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
#"The prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case, and all accused are acquitted," judge OP Saini is reported to have said while acquitting all accused in the 2G scam story.
#CBI special court acquits all accused in the 2 G Scam case
# A Raja, M. K. Kanimozhi acquitted by Special Court
Also Read: 2G spectrum scam: Here’s a timeline of how major events unfolded in the case
# Security remains heightened at Patiala House Court, in view of the #2GScamVerdict
# Former Telecom Minister A Raja arrives at Patiala House Court
# Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi & Rajya Sabha MP, arrives at Patiala House Court
#Former Minister A Raja leaves from his residence for Patiala House Court
#Delhi: Former Minister A Raja leaves from his residence for Patiala House Court for the #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/cykqTee9qw
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017
