The Hindu Business Line : Illegal routing dispute: HC asks BSNL to clarify stand on arbitration

THE Delhi High Court today asked Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to clarify if it was interested in arbitration of its dispute with Reliance Infocomm over the alleged routing of international calls as local ones by the private telecom operator.

Directing BSNL counsel, Mr Maninder Singh, to take clear instructions from the state-owned company on the issue of arbitration, a Division Bench of Mr Justice B.A. Khan and Mr Justice Anil Kumar fixed February 10 for further hearing.

Senior counsel Mr Harish Salve, appearing for Reliance, argued in favour of arbitration and accused BSNL of deliberately delaying adjudication on the matter.

At the start of the proceedings, senior counsel Mr C.S. Sundaram, appearing on behalf of BSNL, said that the issue of jurisdiction should be decided before the court took up Reliance Infocomm's appeal for hearing on merits.

Mr Sundaram told the court that as a matter of policy, BSNL would not prefer arbitration. Terming BSNL's objection on the issue of jurisdiction as abuse of process of law, Mr Salve pointed out that the issue was never raised before the single judge whose order has been challenged by Reliance.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked Reliance to pay up the entire dues, amounting to about Rs 180 crore for the alleged illegal routing of calls, to BSNL.

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