CBI should probe Aircel-LTTE 'link': Swamy to SC

Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, who is pursuing the 2G spectrum scam, on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to direct Central Bureau of Investigation to expand the ambit of its probe to cover the alleged link between terror outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam and telecom company Aircel.

However, a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly asked him to file a proper application so that CBI could look into it.

He also raised the question why CBI was registering the charge of forgery against former Telecom Minister A Raja under the lenient provision of section 468 instead of stringent section 467 of the Indian Penal Code.

He said it should be ensured that CBI registers the charge of forgery under section 467 which attracts maximum punishment of life imprisonment instead of lenient penal provision under section 468 in which the maximum sentence is seven years jail term.

While section 467 deals with forgery of documents dealing with valuable security, section 468 covers forgery of documents for cheating.

Swamy in his application before the trial court has sought a direction for CBI to probe the scam from national security angle.

The application had said Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, which were allotted licences, had sold their major shares to two foreign firms Etisalat and Telenor, which is "a major threat" to national security.

"The first two licensees, Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, soon after the allocation of spectrum to them, sold their controlling shares respectively to Etisalat DB and Telenor. The national security risk from these companies are highlighted by the Union Home Ministry as their connections go right into Pakistan," he had said.