Order reserved on charge framing against Essar, Loop promoters

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A Delhi Court on Friday reserved for May 25 its order on framing of charges against Essar group and Loop Telecom promoters for allegedly committing offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy for obtaining the 2G spectrum licences from government.

"Put up for order on May 25. All the five accused person shall remain present in the court in person (on May 25)," Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini said after the CBI concluded its arguments on framing of charges.

The five persons who face the CBI charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy in the case are Essar group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia and Loop Telecom promoters I.P. Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan, besides Essar group Director (Strategy and Planning) Vikash Saraf as accused in the case.

Besides the five, the CBI has also named in its charge sheet, filed on December 12, three companies -- Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Teleholdings Ltd also as accused in the case.

Advancing arguments on framing of charges, CBI counsel A.K. Singh said Loop Telecom played "hide and seek" with the Department of Telecom (DoT) and concealed information from it regarding their relationship with Essar Group.

Referring to the conduct of Loop Telecom, he said, "first the company had not filed the clause 8 (of the Unified Access Services Licences guidelines) certificate which was mandatory to be submitted at the time of filing of the application (for spectrum) and secondly, when it gave the certificate on the asking of DoT, it submitted the same with incomplete information."

He said this shows that Loop Telecom was 'concealing vital information about its relation with Essar group which is the subject matter of the case'.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged that the accused had committed offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy for obtaining 2G licences in 2008.

During the arguments earlier, promoters of Essar Group and Loop Telecom had opposed the framing of charges against them, contending that no criminality could be attached to them and no offence of cheating is made out against them as the government had not found any irregularity and illegality in granting the 2G licences to Loop Telecom, as alleged by the CBI.