2G scam: SC quashes 122 licences

In a major setback for the government, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed all 122 spectrum licences granted after January 2008.

The apex court left it open for the trial court to decide whether home minister P Chidambaram needs to probed in the 2G scam.

The SC said that there was no need for SIT to monitor the 2G scam probe.

The SC verdicts came on Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged role of home minister P Chidambaram in the spectrum scam, and on two pleas by lawyer Prashant Bhushan seeking cancellation of 2G licences and setting up of an SIT to monitor probe into the scam.

Swamy has demanded a CBI probe into the role of Chidambaram with regard to the 2G scam. The Janata Party chief, who is the petitioner in the 2G case, has alleged that Chidambaram, then the finance minister, could have prevented jailed former telecom minister A Raja from giving away spectrum at throwaway prices to select companies, but chose not to do so.

Swamy had won a success in the court on Tuesday when Justices Singhvi and Ganguly upheld his right to seek the prosecution of Raja for the 2G scam and indicted the PMO for delaying prosecution of the sacked telecom minister.