India’s auditor has claimed the country’s mobile operators acted as a cartel in the recent spectrum auctions, while also alleging the government aided them, either wittingly or unwittingly, by taking no action, according to Economic Times.

This is not the first time the country’s Comptroller and Auditor General has intervened in India’s mobile market.

Famously, in 2010 the auditor indicted the country’s government and its communications minister for losing as much as $39 billion in potential revenue from an auction of 2G frequencies that was rushed through on a first-come, first-served basis in 2008.

In a 9 April communication to the government, the auditor said mobile operators acting as a cartel in the recent auctions had again caused a financial loss to the government.

The absence of operators from two recent auctions led to speculation at the time that they had acted collectively in not participating. However, this is the first time the accusation has been officially made.

Ironically, the most recent spectrum sales were held after the country’s Supreme Court last year annulled licences issued by A Raja, the former communications minister in 2008, and directed the government to conduct new auctions.

The first auction was in November 2012 with a second following in March this year.