The Supreme Court today ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the restoration of 2G spectrum licence to Chennai-based telecom operator S Tel, after its cancellation earlier on the grounds of threat to national security.
The apex court also asked the agency to investigate the antecedents of the UAE-based Etisalat against which the home ministry had expressed reservations earlier to the Department of Telecommunication and the finance ministry regarding the foreign direct investment made by it in the telecom sector.
A Bench of justices G S Singhvi and A G Ganguly asked CBI to apprise it of their findings on March 15. Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for CBI, however, said as the issues concerning the two firms did not directly relate to the 2G spectrum allocation, the agency might take some more time to complete the probe.
Attorney General G E Vahanvati, meanwhile, explained to the Bench about the telecom policy adopted since 1994 and said the spectrum was allocated on the basis of the policy decision which did not envisage its allocation by auction.
He further said the licences could not be cancelled only on the ground that the policy of auction was not followed. If there was any fault or gaps in implementation of the policy, it was for the court to take a view, he added.