2G verdict: Kanimozhi feels justice is delivered, A Raja says entire case was cooked up

NEW DELHI: Congress ’s celebration over the 2G verdict may be tempered by the CBI special court’s observation that key officials in the Manmohan Singh PMO — secretary Pulok Chatterjee and principal secretary TKA Nair — suppressed the relevant and controversial part of A Raja’s letter to Singh.Special judge O P Saini said Raja, the DMK nominee in the UPA government, had conveyed to Singh what he intended to do but PMO officials presented a partial view to the then PM. “If the words ‘Wants PMO to be at arm’s length’ are read in the context of the case, it is clear that they are aimed at officials of the PMO and not at A Raja,” the judge said.The ‘arm’s length’ noting by BVR Subramaniam, then private secretary to the PM, had said, “PM wants this informally shared with the department... Does not want a formal communication and wants PMO to be at arm’s length please.” The noting was dated January 23, 2008, a fortnight after the 2G spectrum licences were handed out.Citing cross-examination of the CBI’s investigation officer Vivek Priyadarshi and the 2008 note, the court said Chatterjee spoke to the then telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and “gave (a) go-ahead to DoT”, but later on sought to shift the blame on Raja.In a separate section dealing with the PMO’s role, the court observed that there was no evidence to suggest the letter written by Raja on November 2, 2007, was examined by South Block.Through the letter, the former minister had informed the then PM about the large number of applications and scarce spectrum, while also highlighting other aspects, including the fact that auction was not recommended either by TRAI or the Telecom Commission headed by the telecom secretary.The court referred to Raja’s letter more than a month later, which was seen by Singh and he asked Nair to examine it. In January, Chatterjee looked into it and in response to Raja’s two-page letter with a three-page annexure, he put up a five-page note to Nair, which then went to Singh.“This note discussed only the spectrum related issues as to how much spectrum was available in the country (and related matters)... This note did not consider at all the issue of new licences, which were to be issued as per changed criteria from date of application to date of payment and was also the most controversial one. Thus, this note gave only a partial view of the whole issue and ignored the most important and controversial issue of new licences.” the court said.While observing that the PM did not have time to read such lengthy notes, it said somebody from the PMO gave a go-ahead to DoT to issue new licences and “most probably” it was Chatterjee since his note referred to a conversation with the telecomsecretary.The court also suggested that it was not clear if the note prepared by Chatterjee, and put up by Nair on January 7, 2008, had been seen by Singh, as it does not bear his signature. “Had the PMO hinted otherwise, the DoT would not have dared to go ahead with the process of issue of LOIs (letters of intent) as secretary (telecom) had only joined on January 1, 2008 and was quite new in his job. He would not have dared to go against the PMO,” the court noted.