12. 2G spectrum scam (2010):
2G scam related to the deliberate undervaluation of 2G spectrum frequencies in 2010 that were allotted to favoured mobile companies like unitech wireless, Reliance and Swan telecom, who in turn sold them to third parties for hefty sum of money. According to the CAG report, the shortfall between the money collected and the money which the law mandated to be collected is estimated to be Rs. 176,645 crore. However, the actual loss is highly disputable.
The Supreme Court declared allotment of spectrum as "unconstitutional and arbitrary," and quashed all the 122 licenses issued in 2008 during tenure of A. Raja who was the minister for communications & IT at that time.
Besides A Raja, M K Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, was also named as a beneficiary of this scam. Both were arrested and put behind bars.
Siddharth Behura and R K Chandolia were key bureaucrats who were arrested for being part of the entire controversy. A number of corporate executives including Sanjay Chandra of Unitech, Shaid Balwa of D B Reality and Ravi Ruia of Essar group were arrested in this case.
