2G: HC grants more time to Essar promoters to file reply

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Thursday accepted Essar promoters' plea for more time to file their reply to CBI's appeal against their acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Justice Najmi Waziri granted an additional four weeks to Essar promoters Anshuman Ruia and Ravi Ruia and listed the matter for further hearing on October 9.

The court was hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition challenging the acquittal of Anshuman Ruia and Ravi Ruia, Essar Group Director Vikash Saraf, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I.P. Khaitan and three companies in the case.

The CBI has said that the trial court had failed to appreciate the evidence on record, which showed that the accused had hatched a conspiracy to cheat the Department of Telecom (DoT) for obtaining the spectrum licence.

On December 21, 2017, the special judge acquitted Anshuman Ruia and Ravi Ruia, Saraf and the Khaitans. The court also let off three companies -- Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding.

The CBI had filed its third charge sheet on December 12, 2011, including the names of Essar promoters, Loop promoters and Saraf, and companies -- Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding, and recognized them as accused.

The investigating agency had alleged that they had cheated the DoT by using Loop Telecom as a "front" to secure 2G licenses in 2008 in violation of Clause 8 of the Unified Access Service License (UASL) Guidelines.