'CBI didn't probe Tata's role in 2G scam'

Claiming that the Central Bureau of Investigation had "overlooked" the role of Ratan Tata and corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, an application has been moved in a Delhi Court seeking further investigation into the matter.

The application was placed before Special CBI Judge O P Saini who will hear it on May 2. "The CBI had overlooked the role of Niira Radia and Tata in the granting of the licence to the Tata Teleservice in term of clear violation of the policy and procedure," the

application filed by Dharmender Pandey, a resident of Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh, said. The application filed through counsel S K Singh alleged that Radia played an active role in the grant of licenses to Tata Teleservice.

"The CBI, much before the filing of the charge sheet and during the course of the investigation, had information about the violation in the granting of licenses to Tata Teleservice under pressure and active role played by Radia, but either deliberately or due to oversight, the CBI had missed the vital role of other persons in terms of the allotment of the licenses to Tata Teleservice," it said.

It also referred to the report by Justice Shivraj Patil Committee, appointed by telecom ministry to hold inquiry into lapse of procedures and irregularities into telecom policy, which said that Tatas had not applied for the Unified Access Service licenses till October 1, 2007, the last date as per the press release by the Department of Telecommunication.

Pandey said that Radia had been named as a witness in the case by the CBI despite the fact that she played an active role in it.

"The CBI had filed the first charge sheet in the matter on April 2... Radia had been shown as a witness although the scam surfaced as huge only after the alleged leak of her conversations with others," he contended.

Regarding Tata Teleservices, Pandey alleged that the firm applied for the licenses on October 22, 2007 i.e. after three weeks of the cut off date.

He alleged that Tata Tele was granted UAS license despite objection by DoT officials against inclusion of Tata's name after the expiry of the cut off date.