2G scam: Three DoT officials blew Marans cover

NEW DELHI: Statements of three officials of the Department of Telecom—one retired and two serving—given to the CBI last week, sealed the fate of former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran. These officials corroborated ex-Aircel’s chief C Sivasankaran’s allegations that, against their advise, the minister deliberately sat over the firm’s applications for additional licenses and spectrum for almost two years during his 2004-2007 tenure.Armed with the statements of these three crucial witnesses, all of whom were in key positions in the DoT during Maran’s tenure, the CBI will soon convert into an FIR the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) registered in the case on the Supreme Court’s direction in January this year to expand the scope of investigation for period between 2001 to 2006.The investigating agency will also soon call Maran for questioning in the case.Senior agency officials indicated that they are likely to send notice to Maran to be available for questioning by next week. Since he is no longer a cabinet minister, there will be no need to seek sanction from the government.According to CBI sources, the officials who blew the Maran’s cover are former telecom secretary (February 1, 2004 to March 30, 2005) Nirpendra Mishra and his subordinates Ram Jee Singh Kushwaha, Joint Wireless Advisor who continues in the same post now and P K Mittal, then senior Deputy Director General, who is now the  Senior General Manager of J&K circle.