2G scam: Delhi High Court issues notice to CBI

The Delhi High Court today sought CBI's response to a plea by Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) for quashing of charges against it in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, involving former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others.

A single judge bench of Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the CBI seeking its reply within four weeks and slated it for hearing on January 12 next year.

The court, however, rejected RTL's plea to issue notices also to the Department of Telecom, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Union Ministry of Law and Justice at this juncture saying it would consider later if they need to be issued notices.

"As far as CBI is concerned, I am issuing notice. For others (DoT, TRAI and Law ministry), I do not find any reason to issue notice at this stage," said Justice Gupta, while issuing notice to the CBI.

RTL had sought making law ministry a party to its plea saying that the ministry's report, clarifying the meaning of the term 'associate' of a commercial firm was neglected by the CBI and not considered even by the trial court at the stage of framing of charges against it, despite the same having been placed on court's record.

RTL had moved the high court last week challenging Special Judge O P Saini's decision to put it on trial, saying it never held stakes in excess of 9.9 per cent in Swan Telecom and that too was divested prior to the grant of licenses in 2008.