Ravi Inder Singh allegedly didn't give security clearances to Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka owned DB Realty after learning that the company is possibly funded by the underworld

The 2G spectrum scam continues to throw up new surprises every day - some unpleasant, others interesting, and a few that are completely bizarre. For instance, why did tainted IAS officer Ravi Inder Singh refuse to give the security clearance to DB Realty that he had given to three other companies?


Insider: MHA mole Ravi Inder Singh (left) was allegedly in constant touch
with Vinod Goenka, an equal partner in DB Realty with Shahid Balwa. File pic

Three out of four companies, which tainted Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Director, Ravi Inder Singh had allegedly favoured to provide security clearances, were in fact given the same except DB Realty - the firm jointly owned by Shahid Balwa and his partner Vinod Goenka - as Singh was possibly aware of the fact that the company is allegedly funded by the underworld.

The other three companies - Punj Lloyd, Telecordia technologies and Sterlite - were given security clearances by the IAS officer, who is now in jail, facing charges of corruption.u00a0

Another astonishing revelation, according to sources, is that two of these four companies (Punj Lloyd and Sterlite) had got security clearances for ports. The location, however, was unknown even in the cops' records. As per Delhi police sources, Vineet, the broker, who was arrested by the Special Cell, along with IAS officer Ravi Inder Singh, was allegedly in constant touch with Vinod Goenka, who is an equal partner in DB Realty.u00a0
"Two companies (Punj Lloyd and Sterlite) had procured security clearances for ports and Telecodio, a telecom company had procured clearance for telecom purposes, DB Realty Limited, however, never got the clearance," sources said.

Sources in the CBI also said that DB Realty is a sister firm of Tiger traders, which holds 45 per cent stake in Swan Telecom, the company which former telecom minister, A Raja is alleged to have favoured in allocating spectrum. The CBI is probing allegations that Raja helped Swan bag 2G licenses for 13 circles.

No Minister!
CBI director AP Singh has contradicted telecom minister Kapil Sibal's claim that 2G spectrum allocation had caused "zero loss" to the national exchequer as he appeared before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Singh was quizzed by members of the committee on various aspects of the 2G spectrum allocation. "As far as he (Singh) has seen the case, to say 'zero loss' is wrong," PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi told a press conference after the meeting. The CBI, in its FIR, has said the losses could be to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore.