[IronpumpedLady]

In a new twist in the 2G case, the Supreme Court (SC) issued notices Thursday to the Centre, department of telecommunications (DoT), CBI, ED and the income-tax department on three counts -alleged interference by the law ministry in investigation against Essar-Loop, CBI top brass protecting DoT officials and slow pace of probe against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. A special bench of justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly asked the government and its agencies and departments to file affidavits within 10 days.

The notices were issued on a fresh application by the main complainant, NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), making specific charges based on “internal communication” of the government and its agencies.

Regarding the probe against Essar-Loop, CPIL said “the interference of law minister Salman Khurshid is evident” and attached the ministry’s “recent opinion giving clean chit to Essar Group” as annexure-B.

CPIL counsel Prashant Bhushan submitted that CBI director and director of prosecution had “excluded” some key DoT officials from booking under Prevention of Corruption Act in the third supplementary charge sheet against Loop, a “benami” front company floated by Essar to get 2G licences.

Mr Bhushan said though FIR was registered against Maran on October 9, 2011, and his premises searched a day later, “since then CBI is deliberately going slow in the case and not made any arrest”.

“The case against Maran was a clear-cut corruption case of quid-pro-quo and it is being made weak by CBI.

The charge sheet should have been filed in the case by now.”

-dc chn