So enormous is the scale of the 2G spectrum scandal and so widely dispersed and influential are the dramatis personae that ordinary instruments of investigation may not be enough to get to the bottom of the affair, said The Hindu in an editorial published Wednesday. Excerpts: The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has come up with three key findings. First, that the Telecom Ministry under A. Raja deliberately ignored suggestions from other branches of government on the manner in which spectrum was to be allocated to new players in the 2G space. Second, that as a result the exchequer suffered a presumptive loss of anywhere between Rs.60,000 crore and Rs.179,000 crore. And third, that more than the factum or quantum of loss, the real scandal lies in the manner in which the first-come-first-served rules were re-jigged in order to cherry pick some companies for allocation. The recent publication of officially intercepted phone conversations between a corporate lobbyist and a raft of politicians and power players in Delhi suggests that the role of a number of industrialists and others also needs investigation. The CBI's handling of the case thus far does not inspire confidence, even if the Supreme Court were to monitor the progress of its investigations more closely. And, although Parliament's Public Accounts Committee normally reviews CAG reports, the sheer complexity of the 2G scandal and the number of official and unofficial players means a more comprehensive examination of the kind a Joint Parliamentary Committee could conduct is warranted. Given the public's sense of disgust with the scale of corruption, the Congress ought to realize that its objection to a JPC is being seen as a tacit admission of guilt. __
