2G spectrum scam judgment: Here's a chronology of events in one of the biggest telecom scams in India

New Delhi: Following is the chronology of events in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case in which a special court on Thursday acquitted former telecom minister A Raja and all others. * May 2007: A Raja takes over as Telecom Minister. * Aug 2007: Process of allotment of 2G spectrum along with Unified Access Services (UAS) Licences initiated by the Department of Telecom (DoT). * 25 Sept, 2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note fixing deadline for application as 1 October, 2007. * 1 Oct, 2007: DoT receives 575 applications by 46 firms. * 2 Nov, 2007: Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh writes to Raja to ensure fair licence allocation and proper revision of entry fee. * 22 Nov, 2007: Finance Ministry writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adopted. [caption id=“attachment_4269191” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kanimozhi and A Raja[/caption] * 10 Jan, 2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first—come—first—serve basis (FCFS), preponing cut—off date to 25 September. * 2009: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) directs CBI to investigate the allegations of illegalities in allocation of 2G spectrum. * 21 Oct, 2009: CBI files FIR against unknown officers of DoT, unknown private persons/companies and others. * 13 Sept, 2010: Supreme Court asks Centre, Raja to reply within 10 days to three pleas alleging a Rs 70,000 crore scam in the grant of telecom licences in 2008. * 10 Nov, 2010: CAG submits report on 2G spectrum to government, claims loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to exchequer. * 14—15 Nov , 2010: Raja resigns as Telecom Minister. * 2 Feb, 2011: Raja arrested by CBI in 2G case. Former Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura and Raja’s erstwhile private secretary Ravindra Kumar Chandolia also arrested. * 8 Feb, 2011: Promoter of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Shahid Usman Balwa, arrested by CBI. * 14 Mar, 2011: Delhi High Court sets up special court to deal exclusively with 2G cases. * 29 Mar, 2011: SC permits CBI to file charge sheet on 2 April instead of 31 March. * 2 Apr, 2011: CBI files its first charge sheet. Names Raja, Chandolia and Behura. Reliance ADAG Group Managing Director Gautam Doshi, its senior Vice President Hari Nair, Group President Surendra Pipara, Swan Telecom Promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka and Managing Director of Unitech Ltd Sanjay Chandra made accused. Three companies — Reliance Telecom Ltd, Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd — also charge sheeted. * 25 Apr, 2011: CBI files second charge sheet naming DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi, 4 others. * 23 Oct, 2011: Charges framed against all 17 accused. * 11 Nov, 2011: Trial in the case begins. * 23 Nov, 2011: SC grants bail to 5 accused — Hari Nair, Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara, Sanjay Chandra and Vinod Goenka. * 28 Nov, 2011: Delhi HC grants bail to Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar, Karim Morani, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal. * 29 Nov, 2011: Special court grants bail to Shahid Balwa. * 1 Dec, 2011: Chandolia gets bail from special court. * 12 Dec, 2011: CBI files third charge sheet. Names Essar Group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, its director (Strategy and Planning) Vikas Saraf, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I P Khaitan. Also chargesheeted three firms – Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding. * 2 Feb, 2012: SC cancels 122 licences granted during A Raja’s tenure. Directs auctioning of licences in 4 months. * 4 Feb, 2012: Special Court dismisses Swamy’s plea to make former Finance Minister P Chidambaram a co-accused in 2G case. * 24 Aug, 2012: SC dismisses plea for probe against Chidambaram in the 2G case, says no prima facie material to show that Chidambaram got pecuniary benefits. * 25 Apr, 2014: ED chargesheets Raja, Kanimozhi and others in a 2G case related money laundering case. * 31 Oct, 2014: Charges framed in money laundering case. * 10 Nov, 2014: Final arguments from 19 December. * 5 Dec, 2017: Special Court fixes 21 December for pronouncement of judgement in the 2G case. * 21 Dec, 2017: Special court acquits all accused including Raja and all others in all the three cases.