2G spectrum scam: It may not be over, ED to appeal against verdict in high court

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said that it will appeal against the judgement of the Special CBI Court that acquitted all accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

The agency said that it will study the order and knock on the doors of the high court armed with maintainable evidence and investigation, the PTI reported quoting sources close to the ED.

Enforcement Directorate will appeal against the special court verdict on 2G spectrum allocation: agency sources — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 21, 2017

However, it's still not clear if the case registered by the ED against the accused was rejected by the Special Court merely because the predicate offence probe of the CBI was also rejected or there were other reasons behind its order.

Meanwhile, the CBI too said that it would study the special court verdict on the 2G spectrum scam case and then decide the future course of action.

"We are yet to receive the complete judgement. We will study it, take legal opinion and decide the future course of action," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

The reactions from the two agencies came shortly after the Special Court of justice OP Saini acquitted all accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi in the ED's money laundering case relating to the 2G scam.

In its chargesheet, the ED had also named DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal as an accused in the case in which it had alleged that Rs 200 crore was paid by Swan Telecom (P) Ltd (STPL) promoters to DMK-run Kalaignar TV.

In its final report, the ED had named 10 individuals and nine companies as accused and listed them in the charge sheet for the offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Most of the accused, including A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, were present in the Patiala House Court when it pronounced the verdict in the infamous 2G spectrum allocation case, which rattled the previous UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh. 

The verdict came nearly seven years after the first arrest was made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2011.

The verdict came as a big relief to Congress, DMK and former PM Manmohan Singh, who has come under severe attack from the BJP.

Hitting out at this political detractors, Singh said that the verdict will put to rest an alleged  ''malicious propaganda'' against him and his government. 

Reacting to the 2G case verdict, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that the Congress must not consider it as ''a certificate to its honest policies.''

"Congress leaders are treating this judgement as some kind of a badge of honour and a certification that it was an honest policy," Jaitley said, adding that the party's zero loss theory was proven wrong when the Supreme Court quashed spectrum allocation in February 2012.

“In 2007-08, the spectrum was not given by auction, but on the basis of price discovery which was based on 2001 prices. It was then changed to first-come, first-pay policy. Favourite few were told in advance about the policy,” he said.

“This was a corrupt and dishonest policy, which has already been upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012,” the FM added.

The CBI court verdict also triggered massive celebrations in Delhi and Tamil Nadu, where DMK supporters were seen distributing sweets. 

(With Agency inputs)