P. Chidambaram leaves his New Delhi residence on Saturday. — PTI

A special CBI court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subra-manian Swamy’s plea to make Union home minister P. Chidambaram a co-accused in the 2G scam case, saying Mr Chidam-baram had not indulged in any criminal conspiracy or derived any pecuniary advantage in his limited role in decisions taken with former communications minister A. Raja on 2G spectrum.
The verdict came as a major win for the home minister, who was being targeted by the Opposition both in and outside Parliament in connection with the multicrore scam. Dr Swamy intends to move the Supreme Court, claiming that he “need not go to the high court”.
Special CBI judge O.P. Saini, in his 64-page order, observed: “I do not find any sufficient ground for proceeding against P. Chidambaram. The plea is without any merit and the same is dismissed.” The home minister, who met PM Manmohan Singh immediately after the verdict was announced, left to attend a Congress rally at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
The judgment, being viewed as a major political victory for the Congress and the home minister, has also dented the Opposition’s move to make corruption a major plank against the UPA in the Assembly polls in UP.
The judge said Mr Chida-mbaram was party to only two decisions — keeping spectrum prices at 2001 levels and dilution of equity by two companies. The judge observed that “they are not per se criminal”.
The court said it would commence the hearing on the complaint filed by Dr Swamy, in which he made further allegations against former telecom minister A. Raja, without making Mr Chidambaram an accused from March 17.