Scams, controversies, corruption. With 'conning' and 'swindling' becoming buzzwords these days, we wonder where we're headed. Here's a round-up of some of the top stories that rocked and shocked the nation in 2010. By Priti Salian
The unabashed whistleblower
Website Wikileaks has had everyone on tenterhooks with its release of sensitive diplomatic cables. Considered notorious and risky by organisations whose secrets it has exposed, Wikileaks has been portrayed as the future of investigative journalism by some. Whether it is about India’s fear of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons or a Singapore diplomat calling India stupid, these secret cables have kept our nation in the news for months now!
The sporty scandal
It was the most coveted event of the year. But the mudslinging that preceded the Common Wealth Games put India in a spot. Whether it was sporting equipment or medical facilities, everything bought for the games by the Organising Committee under the guidance of Mr. Suresh Kalmadi was super duper expensive. Corruption charges followed and the furore led to a lot of bad mouthing and buck passing while the common Indian kept his fingers crossed for the games to take place flawlessly. And they did! As for Mr. Kalmadi, the matter is being taken care of now, by the CBI!
The colourful 2G spectrum
When former communications minister A. Raja granted licences for the 2G spectrum in January 2008, he never dreamt he would land up in this kind of a soup. The government lost 1.76 lac crores of revenue as a result of his actions. The telecom ministry allegedly undervalued the 2G spectrum, ignored instructions from the Prime Minister about the auction of the spectrum, and awarded licences to new players at just Rs. 9000 crores! A CBI probe is on to find out whether Mr. Raja did this to benefit select operators…
Not so ideal, the Adarsh Housing Society
This housing society, built on prime Defence land in Colaba in Mumbai, was meant for the kin of Kargil war heroes. A six- storied structure to begin with, it extended to 31 storeys without authorisation and mandatory permissions! But the controversy began when it was discovered that bureaucrats, politicians, and many defence personnel owned flats in the building. Ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan was asked to resign for allegedly being party to the violation of rules…
The Indian Premier League scam
It all started with a tweet from Mr. Lalit Modi, suspended IPL Commissioner, who wanted to know who the real owners of the Kochi team were. What followed was a series of allegations, benami ownerships, and muddy financial deals, leading to the revelation of one of the biggest scams of our times. This one really makes the perfect script for a thriller!
The murky Radia tapes
Telephonic conversations between Niira Radia, professional corporate lobbyist, with politicians, corporate leaders, and media personalities were recorded by the Indian Income Tax Department in 2008-09. Shocking facts were revealed, which led to all of the above being accused of misconduct in every which way possible. Journalists were blamed for fixing stories and conducting scripted interviews with politicians. To top that, Radia has also been allegedly held responsible for trying to help A. Raja keep his post as telecom minister! We wait and watch to see what more the authorities dig up on that one in the New Year…
Disclaimer: The information given in this article is based on widely circulated reports and does not reflect the views of the writer or the publication.
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