Delhi HC issues notice to A Raja, others in 2G case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought to prepone the date of hearing of the appeals from October 24. The court issued notice to all the individuals and firms, who were acquitted in the case, on the CBI’s plea and listed the application for hearing on July 30.

Justice AK Chawla asked the CBI’s counsel as to what was so special that they are seeking early hearing of this matter. “What is the urgency now,” the court asked.

The Central government standing counsel Ripu Daman Bhardwaj said the matter was of national importance with international ramifications and the hearing on the appeals be preponed from October.

The CBI has sought early hearing in the 2G spectrum allocation case as well as in a separate case arising out of the 2G scam probe in which Essar Group promoters Ravi Kant Ruia and 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 the CBI and ED cases.

It had acquitted 17 others, including DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa, film producer Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, Director of Kalaignar TV in the ED case.

On March 19 last year, the ED had approached the High Court challenging the special court’s order acquitting all the accused.

A day later, the CBI too had challenged in the High Court the acquittal of the accused in the case.