SC dismisses Essar, Loop promoters’ plea for exemption from appearance in Delhi court
15 Feb 2012
The promoters of Essar and Loop will have to appear in a Delhi court that is handling the telecom trial on 22 February as the Supreme Court has rejected their petitions seeking exemption from appearing in person for the hearings.
Both companies are facing accusations of cheating and conspiracy.
The CBI has accused Essar of using Loop as a front for the acquisition of more licenses and spectrum in 2008 than was legally permissible. The CBI chargesheet names Essar promoters Anshuman and Ravi Ruia and Vikas Saraf, a senior Essar executive and Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I P Khaitan.
According to the group, judge Sani's court, which is a special CBI court handling the telecom trial, has no jurisdiction in the matter of the charges against them - neither side faces charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, unlike other companies that are named in the case.
Loop and Essar, therefore, want their cases to be heard by a district magistrate's court, and pending a decision on it, their promoters contend they should be exempted from appearing before judge Saini's court. The SC has refused to allow this and the judges have asked the CBI and the government to respond to the petitioners' request about moving their trial to a different court.
The case would come up for hearing after two weeks.
