A. Raja

Andimuthu Raja ஆண்டிமுத்து ராசா
Minister of Communications and Information Technology
In office May 31, 2009 – November 14, 2010
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	A. Raja
Succeeded by	Kapil Sibal
Constituency	Nilgiris
Minister of Communications and Information Technology
In office May 18, 2007 – May 18, 2009
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Dayanidhi Maran
Succeeded by	A. Raja
Minister of State, Health and Family Welfare
In office September 30, 2000 – December 21, 2003
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Minister of State, Rural Deveplopment
In office October 13, 1999 – September 20, 2000
Prime Minister	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Personal details
Born	10 May 1963 (1963-05-10) Velur, District Perambalur (Tamil Nadu)
Political party	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
Spouse(s)	M.A. Parameswari
Residence	Village Velur, Taluka, District Perambalur - 621 212 Tamil Nadu

Andimuthu Raja (Tamil: ஆண்டிமுத்து ராசா) (born May 10, 1963, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian politician from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) political party. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha representing the Nilgiris constituency of Tamil Nadu.

In 2011, TIME magazine listed Mr. Raja's 2G spectrum scam as number two on their “Top 10 Abuses of Power” list (just behind the Watergate scandal).

Political career

Controversial Resignations

On October 17, 2008 he submitted his post-dated resignation to the D.M.K party chief M. Karunanidhi over the killings of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka. His resignation was a part of the mass resignation of all the D.M.K ministers forming a parts of the coalition UPA central government.

On November 14, 2010, he announced that he would step down from his cabinet post, over the 2G spectrum allocation scandal.

2G Spectrum scandal

Main article: 2G spectrum scam

Further information: Radia tapes controversy

The 2G spectrum financial scandal in the Telecommunications and IT Ministry under A. Raja is noteworthy as the largest political corruption case in modern Indian history, amounting to a record $40 billion loss from underpricing to the Government of India.^{[citation needed]} The alleged modus operandi was telecom bandwidth being grossly undervalued and offered to a chosen few with vested interests, on a dubious 'First-Come-First-Served' basis. It is alleged that it should have been put under a transparent auction system, purportedly advised by higher office.

The bandwidth-spectrum allocation of 2G bandwidth had later come under criticism for gross irregularities. An FIR filed by the CBI claims that the allocation was not done as per market prices, resulting in a scam worth 200 crore (US$44 million). However it had been alleged by Arun Jaitley of Bhartiya Janata Party that the scam is worth around 176,000 crore (US$38.72 billion). The Comptroller and Auditor General holds Raja personally responsible for the sale of 2G spectrum at 2001 rates in 2008, resulting the previously mentioned loss of up to Rs. 1.76 lakh crores (US$40 billion) to the national exchequer. In August, 2010, evidence was submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) showing that Raja had personally signed and approved the majority of the questionable allocations. Although the political opposition was demanding his resignation over the 2G spectrum scam, Raja initially refused to resign stating his innocence, and this view was backed by his party president M.Karunanidhi.

The financial scam eventually led to Raja's resignation on the 14th of November, 2010. There will be further criminal investigation and action on Raja with reports being filed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In 2011, the results of an investigation by retired judge Shivraj Patil, who was appointed by current telecom minister Kapil Sibal, has also found Raja to have been directly responsible for "procedural lapses" regarding the spectrum scandal. The CBI and Enforcement Directorate estimate that Raja could have made as much as Rs 3,000 crore from the alleged bribes.

In January and February 2011, Raja's homes and offices were raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Computers were reportedly seized as part of the evidence that the CBI plans to present against him. Raja and two former associates were arrested on February 2, 2011. The 3 have been taken to Patiala House Courts for enquiries by the CBI on 3 February 2011 After the end of his custody with CBI, Raja was sent to Tihar Jail for judicial custody until March 3, 2011. His stay in the Tihar Jail was then extended, first to March 17 and then to March 31.under judicial custody.^{[citation needed]}

He was later backed by his party DMK after his arrest and in general meeting in Chennai party passed a resolution in favor of Raja stating that until charges are proven he is not guilty.

Arrest and chargesheet

On February 2, 2011, the CBI arrested Raja. The CBI also arrested R. K. Chandolia, Raja's personal aide, and Siddharth Behura, the former Telecom Secretary. Both Raja and R.K. Chandolia are heard in conversation with Niira Radia in the released Radia tapes.

See also

• 2G spectrum scam
• List of scandals in India
• List of politicians in India charged with corruption
• Sadiq Batcha
• M. K. Kanimozhi
• Suresh Kalmadi
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
• Justice A.K. Ganguly

External links

• "Fifteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile: Raja, Shri Andimuthu". Parliament of India. Archived from the original on 2011-03-10. http://www.webcitation.org/5x5JwiiCm. 

Political offices
Preceded by Dayanidhi Maran	Minister of Communications and Information Technology 2007-10	Succeeded by Kapil Sibal