SC on 2G: 122 licenses quashed,

SC on 2G: 122 licenses quashed, Chidambaram case moves to trial court

The Supreme Court has left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of the alleged role of Home Min P Chidambaram into the 2G spectrum allocation scam but refused to give direction to CBI on the issue. Disposing of the petitions filed by Subramainan Swamy seeking a direction to the CBI to probe the alleged role of Chidambaram, a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly on Thursday said that its order should no way influence the proceedings before the trial court. The apex court said that the trial court should decide the matter within two weeks. Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who is hearing a separate petition of Swamy to prosecute Chidambaram, has already reserved his order for 4th February. Swamy had contended that Chidambaram as finance minister had a role in fixation of prices of the licenses and in the dilution of shares by the telecom firms to two foreign companies. Among the 122 licences issued by Raja in January 2008 on first-come first-serve basis, Uninor was alloted 22 pan India licences, Loop 21, Sistema-Shyam 21, Etisalat-DB 15, S Tel 6, Videocon 21, Idea 9 and Tatas 3. Reacting to the Supreme Court judgement Uninor, which has launched services in most of the circles, expressed shock and said that the company has been treated unfairly. Other new operators said that they would examine the order before commenting on the future course of action. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the government will examine the implications of the judgements given by the Supreme Court in the 2G case. "Judgements have come and we will have to examine judgements and its implications. Government will examine it," said Mukherjee.