India’s Central Bureau of Investigation raids Airtel, Vodafone offices

The offices of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone were on Saturday November 19, 2011 raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India.

The exercise by the CBI was to get details on spectrum allocation by the Indian government to the operators between 2001-2002, the Reuters news agency reports.

Dharini Mishra, spokeswoman for CBI, according to Reuters said the searches were in regard to possible irregularities in allotting spectrum during the previous government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), now in opposition.

The raid is said to have been conducted at Vodafone’s Mumbai and New Delhi offices and Bharti Airtel’s office in Gurgaon, near New Delhi.

Both Vodafone and Airtel have all denied the allegations saying their operations are in compliance with the government’s laws and regulations.

By Ekow Quandzie