Agency seeks SC nod to file 2 PEs
The CBI has come across 16 specific instances in controversial lobbyist Nira Radia's tapped conversations where criminality can be probed.
In its submissions before the Supreme Court (SC), the agency has expressed its willingness to register two Preliminary Enquiries pertaining to appointments in the Telecom Ministry and manipulation of ministries for gas allocation to certain companies.
On references in the conversations about manipulation of judges and judgements, the agency has urged the SC to take a call. There were specific conversations about a london-based lobby boasting of managing favourable judgements in corporate battles, sources said.
Other instances in Radia's tapped conversations listed out by the CBI where criminality can be investigated include, shunting out of bureaucrats who acted as roadblocks to the interests of the corporate houses, supply of buses to Tamil Nadu Government and acquisition of land by the State Government and subsequent transfer to an infrastructure company there.
The conversations between former Chief Minister Karunanidhi's wife Rajathi Ammal's Chartered Accountant Ratnam and Radia mention these deals.
The references which fall under the ambit of State jurisdiction can be probed by the respective police, and the agency can investigate such issues if the SC specifically directs it to do so.
The Central investigating agency can readily register Preliminary Enquiries, gather evidence and accordingly register regular cases in the instances where it has direct jurisdiction, the CBI is said to have told the court in its affidavit.
The sources said hints of money transactions between Indian, foreign lobbying firms and some journalists who figured in the tapes can also be probed for criminality.
References to IPl betting, insider trading and stock market manipulation that figured in the tapes are also under the scanner.
Instance of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda seeking `180 crore from the Tata Group for extension of a mining lease, and payoff of `1 crore by Ratan Tata to Radia and team as "success fee" for expeditious mining clearances to the steel giant are also likely to be probed, sources said.
References to appointment of "favourable" people as members of Pipeline Regulatory Authority also figured in the tapes and may be investigated.
Sources in the Enforcement Directorate said they had already seized Radia's entire bank transaction details from 2006 in several countries, including tax havens and found incriminating evidence of payoffs to certain bureaucrats and journalists.
The SC had on Wednesday observed that the tapped conversations reflect that middlemen are virtually present in every nook and corner of the Government.
As many as 6,000 conversations between Radia and others were tapped by the Income-Tax Department. The CBI has so far only investigated the aspects related to the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam.