Exact loss to exchequer in 2G scam not calculable: Court

The exact loss to the state exchequer due to the 2G scam is impossible to be calculated, a Delhi Court today said while giving its green signal to start trial against all the 17 accused in the case.

The court's remark assumes significance in light of divergent views on the exact loss to the exchequer. While CAG pegged the loss at Rs1.76 lakh crore, the CBI estimated it at Rs30984 crore and recent TRAI report said no loss was caused due to alleged irregularities in spectrum allocation.

"There are allegations of loss to the state exchequer in the charge sheet also of which rough estimates have been arrived at and that too, in my humble view, rightly as in such situation it is not possible for anyone to calculate the exact amount of loss," special CBI judge O P Saini said.

"Though, the exact amount of pecuniary loss to the exchequer, if it could have been determined, is always better, but in such cases it may not be possible to determine it or to say that any loss has been caused to the exchequer, though it may be apparent that undue pecuniary advantage has been gained by the public servant or private person due to misuse of office or due to corrupt and illegal means."

Denying any relief to the accused, the court said, "Loss or quantification of loss in exact term is not the essential requirement of offence of criminal conspiracy to cheat or to commit criminal misconduct."