Apex Court cancelled 122 licenses of 2G

Supreme Court today cancelled 122  licenses of 2G allocated to telecom companies in 2008. The Apex court held that the licenses were granted in arbitrary and unconstitutional manner and asked the telecom Regulatory Authority of India to make fresh recommendation on the grant of these licenses. The Court imposed a fine of five crore rupees each for three telecom companies, which off loaded their shares after getting the licenses. It maintained that the allocation of spectrum will be done through auction within four months. The order came on petitions filed by an NGO and the Janata Party President. The CBI is already investigating the matter and DMK leader and former Telecom Minister A Raja had to resign from the Union Cabinet in the wake of allegations of corruption in the case. Several arrests have been made and Mr.Raja is in Tihar jail. Another DMK leader Kanimozhi has also been charged in the case. The Highest court of the country left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of alleged role of Home Minister. It also directed the CBI to file status reports on its ongoing probes into 2G spectrum allocation case to the Central Vigilance Commission. Special CBI court which is hearing a separate petition of Dr.Subramanian Swamy to prosecute Mr.Chidambaram has already reserved its order for Saturday. A two member bench of the court maintained that its order should in no way influence the proceedings before the trial court. The Apex court asked the trial court to decide the matter within two weeks. Reacting to the court order, Dr.Subramanian Swamy described it as the best judgement that was possible. He said the country can be justifiably proud of Supreme Court. The BJP on the other hand demanded the resignation of the Home Minister in the case. Party leader Balbir Punj said in New Delhi that if Mr.Chidambaram is given a clean chit by the trial court he can return to the Union Cabinet. Dismissing BJP demand, Congress today noted that Supreme Court has not passed any remark against Home Minister in the case. Party leader Rashid Alvi said in New Delhi that it is too early to comment on the judgement. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the government will examine the implications of the judgments given by the Supreme Court in the 2G case. He was responding to questions on the case. Meanwhile, CPI has said that the Home Minister cannot absolve himself as it was his job to prevent irregularities in the issue. Describing the Supreme Court orders on 2G spectrum as a fine judgement, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said, it was his job as the then Finance Minister to prevent irregularities.