The Supreme Court on Friday set aside lower court order summoning as accused Bharti Airtel CMD Sunil Bharti Mittal and Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia in additional spectrum allocation case.
Bharti and Ruia have been accused in a corruption case related to allocation of additional spectrum during NDA rule in 2002.
The apex court said, “However, trial judge is at liberty to summon them at any stage if material on record is found”.
Trial court wrongly applied the legal principle while summoning Mittal and Ruia as accused, SC said.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and justices Madan B Lokur and A K Sikri had reserved the verdict on December 4, last year after hearing counsel for corporate honchos and the CBI.
CBI had filed the charge sheet against former Telecom Secretary 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).
Earlier, Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia had said that he was not connected with the day-to-day affairs of the accused company Sterling Cellular Ltd and he was wrongly summoned in the case.
