The Delhi High Court will hear on September 22 and 23 the appeals filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
This comes after the CBI moved the high court seeking an early hearing in the case, saying the central government is in a “hugely vulnerable” position “at the cost of taxpayers’ money”.
“…the present appeals are preferred and leave is sought, certain persons/entities have initiated/instituted claims and/or likely to be initiating claims against Union of India (UOI), which has placed UOI in a hugely vulnerable position at the cost of the taxpayers money. It is therefore, reiterated that the present leave petitions deserve to be heard on day-to-day basis and decided expeditiously,” the application filed by the CBI said.
It added that the 2G spectrum case has great public importance which involves probity in public life and issues of integrity amongst public officials as well as national and international ramifications, and early disposal of the said leave petitions is in the interest of justice.
“The case involves interest of public at large and it was for this reason that the Hon’ble Supreme Court was monitoring the investigation and trial. Keeping the above in mind, it is desirable in the interest of justice that arguments on leave to appeal be resumed on day to-day basis in terms of the order dated 29.09.2020,” the plea for day to day hearing said.
However, the court disposed of the pleas filed by the CBI and posted the matter for further hearing on September 22 and 23.
In November 2020, a single judge bench of the high court presided over by Justice Brijesh Sethi dismissed the applications filed by acquitted accused challenging the process of decision making behind the approval from the central government to the CBI to file appeal against acquittal of 2G case accused.
The scam came to light almost nine years ago when the Comptroller and Auditor General or CAG in a report held then Telecom Minister A Raja responsible for causing the state exchequer a loss of Rs 1,76,379 crore by allocating 2G spectrum licenses at throwaway prices.
However, the trial court found that the prosecution failed to prove the charges. This verdict, however, does not override the Supreme Court judgment or take away from the fact that the licences issued during 2G spectrum allocation were illegal.
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