Telecom case: Mittal, Ruia furnish personal bonds

Bharti Cellular CMD Sunil Mittal and Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia on Tuesday appeared in a Delhi court in connection with the additional 2G spectrum allocation case and furnished personal bonds in pursuance of the Supreme Court's direction.

Both the accused placed on record the apex court's order and submitted separate personal bonds.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini accepted their bonds till the next date of hearing and posted the matter for furthe proceedings on April 22. "It is submitted that vide order of April 15, the Supreme Court has been pleased to adjourn the matter to April 22.

Accordingly, the matter is adjourned till April 22.

"It is further submitted that accused Sunil Mittal and Ravi Ruia were also directed to furnish personal bonds.

Accordingly, both have furnished personal bonds and it is accepted till the next date," the judge said and posted the matter for further hearing on April 22.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir on Monday said that it was extending its order of postponing the hearing against Mittal and Ruia, who had challenged the summoning order against them, in the Special CBI court which will take up the matter on April 22.

However, the apex court had said Mittal and Ruia will appear on Tuesday as scheduled before the Special CBI court dealing with the 2G spectrum cases and would offer personal bond of assurance for their appearance in future.

During the proceedings today, former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh, who has also been summoned as an accused in the case, appeared in the Special CBI court and moved a bail application in the case.

The court is likely to take up Ghosh's bail plea on April 22.

Canada-based NRI Asim Ghosh, a co-accused in the case and the then Managing Director of accused firm Hutchison Max Telecom Pvt Ltd, has not yet been served with

the summons.

The apex court had earlier postponed the matter in the Special CBI court for today after Mittal and Ruia had approached it challenging the summoning order.

The special court had on March 19 summoned Mittal, Ruia, who was then a Director in one of the accused companies Sterling Cellular Ltd and Asim Ghosh.

Their names were not mentioned in the charge sheet filed by CBI on December 21, last year, in the case.

Besides the three, the court had also summoned as accused Shyamal Ghosh and three telecom firms Bharti Cellular Ltd, Hutchison Max Telecom Pvt Ltd (now known as Vodafone India Ltd) and Sterling Cellular Ltd (now known as Vodafone Mobile Service Ltd).

The three telecom firms were represented by their counsel in the court on Tuesday.

CBI, in its charge sheet, had named the three telecom companies as accused in the case relating to the Department of Telecommunications allocating additional spectrum which had allegedly resulted in a loss of Rs 846 crore to the exchequer.

When CBI had opposed the plea of Mittal in the Supreme Court, saying evidence has been found against him during investigation in the case, the apex court had questioned the probe agency as to why he was not named in the charge sheet.

CBI had filed the charge sheet on December 21 last year against Shyamal Ghosh and three telecom firms -- Bharti Cellular Ltd, Hutchison Max Telecom Pvt Ltd and Sterling Cellular Ltd.

Though Mittal, Ruia and Asim Ghosh were not mentioned in CBI's charge sheet as accused, the special court in its order had said it was taking cognisance of the case and issuing summons to all the seven accused, including them, for April 11.

The special court had said that Mittal, Ruia and Asim Ghosh were ‘prima facie’ in ‘control of affairs’ of their respective companies which were charge sheeted by CBI for offences of criminal conspiracy (Sec 120-B) under the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.