Chronology of the events in 2G spectrum case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar in the 2G spectrum case.

Following is the chronology of the events related to the case in which former Telecom Minister A Raja is the main accused:

May 2007: A Raja takes over as Telecom Minister.

August 2007: Process of allotment of 2G Spectrum for telecom along with Universal Access Service (UAS) Licences initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

September 25, 2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note fixing deadline for application as October 1, 2007.

October 1, 2007: DoT receives 575 applications for UAS licences of 46 companies.

November 2, 2007: The Prime Minister writes to Raja directing him to ensure allotment of 2G spectrum in a fair and transparent manner and to ensure licence fee was properly revised. Raja writes back to the Prime Minister rejecting many of his recommendations.

November 22, 2007: Finance Ministry writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adopted by it. Demand for review rejected.

January 10, 2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first-come- first-serve basis, preponing the cut-off date to September 25, from October 1, 2007. Later on the same day, DoT posted an announcement on its website saying those who apply between 3:30 and 4:30 pm would be issued licences in accordance with the said policy.

2008: Swan Telecom, Unitech and Tata Teleservices sell off a part of their stakes at much higher rates to Etisalat, Telenor and DoCoMo respectively.

May 4, 2009: An NGO Telecom Watchdog files complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the illegalities in the spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom.

May 19, 2009: Another complaint was filed to the CVC by one Arun Agarwal, highlighting grant of spectrum to Swan Telecom at throw away prices.

2009: CVC directs CBI to investigate the irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum.

July 1, 2009: Delhi HC holds advancing of cut-off date as illegal on a petition of telecom company S-Tel.

October 21, 2009: CBI registers a case and files an FIR against "unknown officers of DoT and unknown private persons/ companies under various provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

October 22, 2009: CBI raids DoT offices.

November 16, 2009: CBI seeks details of tapped conversation of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia to find out involvement of middlemen in the grant of spectrum to telecom companies.

March 31, 2010: CAG says that there was large scale irregularities in the spectrum allocation.

April 2, 2010: CBI DIG Vineet Agarwal and DG IT Milap Jain, who were investigating the case, transferred.

May 6, 2010: Telephonic conversation between Raja and Niira Radia made public by the media.

May, 2010: NGO Centre for Public Interest litigation moves Delhi High Court seeking investigation into the scam by SIT or CBI.

May 25, 2010: Delhi HC dismisses the petition.

August 2010: Appeal filed in the Supreme Court against the High Court's order.

August 18, 2010: HC refuses to direct the Prime Minister to decide on a complaint by Januaryata Party chief Swamy seeking sanction to prosecute Raja for his involvement in 2G scam.

September 13, 2010: SC asks government, Raja to reply within 10 days to three petitions filed by CPIL and others alleging there was a Rs 70,000 crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 2008.

September 24, 2010: Swamy moves SC seeking direction to the PM to sanction prosecution of Raja.

September 27, 2010: Enforcement Directorate informs SC of probe against firms suspected to have violated FEMA. Says can't deny or confirm now Raja's involvement in the scam.

October 8, 2010: SC asks government to respond to CAG report about the scam.

October 21, 2010: Draft reports of CAG placed before Supreme Court.

October 29, 2010: SC pulls up CBI for its tardy progress in the investigations into the scam.

November 10, 2010: CAG submits report on 2G spectrum to government stating loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to exchequer.

November 11, 2010: DoT files affidavit in SC saying CAG did not have the authority to question the policy decision as per which licence were issued to new players in 2008.

November 14, 2010: Raja resigns as Telecom Minister.

November 15, 2010: Kapil Sibal gave additional charge of Telecom Ministry.

November 20, 2010: Affidavit on behalf of PM filed in SC. Rejects charge of inaction on Swamy's complaint.

November 22, 2010: CBI tells SC it will file chargesheet in the case within three months.

November 22, 2010: CBI tells SC role of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia would be examined by it.

November 24, 2010: SC reserves verdict on Swamy's plea seeking direction to PM for grant of sanction to prosecute Raja.

November 25, 2010: SC ticks off CBI for not questioning Raja.

November 29, 2010: CBI files status report on 2G spectrum scam probe.

November 30, 2010: SC questions CVC P J Thomas's moral right to supervise CBI's probe into 2G spectrum scam as he himself was Telecom Secretary at that point of time.

December 1, 2010: SC directs original tapes containing conversation between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others be handed over to it

December 1, 2010: Raja questions CAG findings in the SC.

December 2, 2010: Government places recorded tapes in the SC.

December 2, 2010: SC comes down heavily on Raja for bypassing and overruling PM's advice to defer allocation of 2G spectrum by a few days.

December 8, 2010: SC favours including in the probe period since 2001 when first-come-first-serve was the norm for spectrum allocation.

December 8, 2010: SC asks Centre to consider setting up of a special court to try 2G spectrum scam case.

December 8, 2010: ED submits report. Says money trail covers 10 countries, including Mauritius.

December 14, 2010: Another PIL in SC seeking cancellation of new telecom licences and 2G spectrum allocated during Raja's tenure.

December 15, 2010: Swamy files petition in a Delhi court seeking his inclusion as a public prosecutor in 2G spectrum case.

December 15, 2010: Swamy mentions in complaint that Raja favoured "ineligible" private companies Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Unitech Wireless Ltd in allocating the spectrum.

January 4, 2011: Swamy moves SC seeking cancellation of 2G spectrum licences.

January 10, 2011: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on the plea seeking cancellation of 2G licenses. Also issues notices to 11 companies which allegedly did not fulfill the roll-out obligations or were in eligible.

January 30, 2011: Government's decision to regularize licences of the companies which failed to meet the deadline for roll-out obligation challenged in the Supreme Court.

February 2, 2011: Raja, former Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura and Raja's former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia arrested and next day they were remanded in CBI custody.

February 8, 2011: Raja remanded to two more days of CBI custody. Behura and Chandolia sent to judicial custody.

February 8, 2011: Shahid Usman Balwa, promoter of Swan Telecom, arrested by CBI.

February 10, 2011: SC asks the CBI to bring under its scanner corporate houses which were beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum. Raja remanded to CBI custody for four more days by a special CBI court along with Balwa.

February 14, 2011: Raja's CBI custody extended for three more days. Balwa's custody extended for four days.

February 17, 2011: Raja sent to Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

February 18, 2011: Balwa sent to Judicial custody.

February 24, 2011: CBI tells Delhi Court that Balwa facilitated transaction to Kalaignar TV.

February 28, 2011: Raja seeks judicial proceedings through video conferencing stating that he faces threat to life from fellow prisoners.

March 1, 2011: CBI tells SC that 63 persons are under scanner. Raja allowed by CBI court to appear before it via video conferencing.

March 14, 2011: The Delhi High Court sets up special court to deal exclusively with 2G cases. Balwa also allowed to appear via video conferencing.

March 29, 2011: SC permits CBI to file charge sheet on April 2 instead of March 31. Two more persons--Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal arrested.

April 2, 2011: The CBI files its first charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

April 25, 2011: CBI files second charge sheet and court issues summons to Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar and Karim Morani taking congizance of the charge sheet.

May 6, 2011: Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar appear before court and files bail pleas while Morani sought exemption from appearance on medical ground.

May 7, 2011: Court reserves order on Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar's bail applications.

May 14, 2011: Court defers order on their bail pleas for May 20.

May 20, 2011: Court rejects bail pleas of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar and orders their forthwith arrest.