SC clears Chidambaram in 2G
In a ruling that came as a major relief for the UPA government, the Supreme Court Friday held that there was no material to show, even prima facie, that Finance Minister P Chidambaram had abused his position or colluded with the then telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum allotment scam.
A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan cleared Chidambaram of all allegations of complicity in the scam and dismissed two petitions — one by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and another by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation — that had accused him of wrongdoing in the case.
The petitions had challenged a February 4 judgment by a special CBI court and sought an investigation into Chidambaram’s role in the spectrum allotment. They also wanted him added as an accused in the case saying he had helped Raja’s alleged corrupt motives.
However, the apex court, after going through the material put on record by the two petitioners, noted that “no material is available, even prima facie, to conclude that Chidambaram had abused his official position, or used any corrupt or illegal means for obtaining any pecuniary advantage for himself or any other persons, including Raja.”
Swamy said he was disappointed by the verdict and would seek a review. “I did not talk about conspiracy. I spoke about loss to the nation. It is a bad judgment,” he said.
The opposition BJP said that Chidambaram remained “constitutionally and politically accountable” as the nation suffered a loss in spectrum pricing
