2G scam: Government policy caused loss as earning profit not motive, says former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura

NEW DELHI: The alleged gigantic loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the state exchequer in 2G spectrum allocation was caused due to the government policy and not because of his criminal acts, former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura told a Delhi court today.

"The government policy was focused on spreading competition, improving services and increasing tele-density. If the policy was wrong then it does not make it criminal," senior advocate Aman Lekhi told special CBI judge O P Saini.

Countering CBI's claim that the "omission and commission" of the accused, including former Telecom Minister A Raja, caused the loss to the state, he said the government "did not intend to generate revenue" from grant of licenses.

"Just because, someone says later that higher licenses prices would have increased the revenue, it did not make the policy chosen criminal," Lekhi said, adding even the charge sheet fails to mention the complicity of Behura in any alleged criminal act.