2G probe: CBI-ED team to visit Cyprus, Mauritius

As part of its probe into the telecom spectrum scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is sending a high-powered team to Mauritius and Cyprus to probe the money trail outside India.

The CBI expects trial of the 2G cases to be completed by November. The third chargesheet is likely by May 31.

"Because of the help coming from the Supreme Court, we can expect conviction in the next seven to eight months," said a senior CBI official. Adding: "It has been a unique experience for our agency, with politicians and senior corporate heads getting arrested."

Ex-telecom minister A Raja is in custody, pending trial. So are a number of senior company heads. CBI has got leads on Essar's fund transfers in Mauritius and Unitech's in Cyprus, the official said. A team of the Enforcement Directorate and CBI will visit the two countries in the second week of May.

Essar's executives had met the Indian high commissioner in Mauritius to clarify their position, the official told Business Standard. The high comission had provided elaborate details of the meeting to CBI. The agency may file additional reports against individuals and companies based on the money trail. CBI will also investigate spectrum allocation from 2001-2007, as directed by the Supreme Court.

"We might request the court for postponement of the deadline (set for May 31), with several aspects still under investigation. We are not sure if the court would agree," the CBI official said. A number of high-profile names have been named in the erarlier two chargesheets. The investigative agency plans to make clear the alleged links of telecom companies such as Datacom and Loop Telecom in the next chargesheet, the official said.

The investigative agency is going to quote "useful" conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with politicians, journalists and corporates as part of extensive evidence collected by the agency.

When asked whether Radia had turned approver or not, the official said while she had not joined hands with CBI, she has also not denied that it is her voice in the taped conversations where she is heard lobbying for Raja's portfolio during Union cabinet formation in 2009.

CBI investigations into the recent death of Raja's close aide A M Saadhick Batcha has not revealed any foul play. "CBI has not found anything contrary to what has been disclosed by the Tamil Nadu police on this matter," said the official.

CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet on April 25, naming Kanimozhi, daughter of the Tamil Nadu chief minister and a Rajya Sabha member from Tamil Nadu's ruling party.

She and some others have been charged with having transferred Rs 200 crore of the scam money from DB Realty to Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route via Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables (a DB group company) and Cineyug Films.