Additional spectrum: Court rejects firms' plea challenging jurisdiction

A court here on Thursday dismissed the plea of two firms which have challenged its jurisdiction to try them in the 2002 additional spectrum allocation case on the ground that the case was not related to the 2G spectrum issue.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini refused to allow the plea of Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular, which were charge sheeted in 2002, ruling that the issue they raised was "without merit".

Referring to CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation as well the orders passed by the apex court, the court said it had been made clear "that all cases arising out of irregularities allegedly committed from 2001 to 2006-07 are part of what is known as 2G spectrum scam and as such, all cases arising there from are to be dealt with accordingly".

"It is thus clear that the entire repertoire of grounds taken in the applications is nothing but an exercise in taxonomical absurdity aimed at wasting the time of the court by resorting to narcissism of small things," it said.

The firms had challenged the court's jurisdiction on the ground that their case did not relate to the 2G spectrum scam while CBI had opposed their contentions saying the case was among the various matters being monitored by the Supreme Court in connection with the 2G scam.