2G case: HC seeks response from accused on CBI’s early hearing plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of former telecom minister A Raja and others on a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking an early hearing on the appeals challenging the trial court’s verdict acquitting all the accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

The CBI sought to advance the date of the hearing of the appeals from October 24. The court issued notice to all the individuals and firms acquitted in the case on CBI’s plea, and listed the application for hearing on July 30.

Justice A K Chawla asked the CBI’s counsel why an early hearing of this matter was being sought.

Central government standing counsel Ripu Daman Bhardwaj said the matter was of national importance with international ramifications.

The CBI has also sought early hearing in a separate case arising out of the 2G scam probe, in which Essar Group promoters Ravi Kant Ruia, Anshuman Ruia and six others were acquitted by the trial court.

A special court had on December 21, 2017, acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in cases filed by the CBI and ED. It had acquitted 17 people, including DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa, film producer Karim Morani, P Amirtham, and Sharad Kumar, the Director of Kalaignar TV, in the ED case.

On the same day, the trial court had acquitted Raja, Kanimozhi and 15 others, including former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja’s erstwhile private secretary RK Chandolia, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group — Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair — in the CBI case.

Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka and directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, were also acquitted in the CBI case.

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