Additional spectrum case: Mittal tells court stay is still on

Bharti Cellular CMD Sunil Mittal today claimed before a Special CBI court that there was a stay on the hearing in the additional spectrum case.
Appearing for Mittal, senior advocate Harish Salve told Special CBI Judge O P Saini that the Supreme Court had said there was no need for clarification on its earlier interim order "postponing" the hearing against them till further orders.
As per the April 26 interim order of the apex court, the stay on the proceedings before the trial court in the additional spectrum case still continues, he maintained.
The apex court had in its April 26 interim order exempted Mittal and Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia from personal appearance in the trial court and had said the hearing against them will remain "postponed" until further orders.

Salve today also informed the court that Mittal is at present out of India due to some meeting and he would not be able to appear before it on August 26, the date already fixed for hearing in the case.
Advocate Mahesh Aggarwal, who appeared for Ruia, too informed the court that his client is also not in India and he will not be able to appear before it on August 26.

The Special CBI Judge allowed the oral plea advanced by the advocates regarding non-appearance of both the corporate barons before him on August 26 and said he would hear CBI's arguments on the issue on that day.

The April 26 interim order of the apex court exempting Mittal and Ruia from personal appearance was passed on two separate pleas filed by them challenging the special court's March 19 order summoning them as accused in the case.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had declined to pass any order on the issue of proceedings in the special court against Mittal and Ruia in a case of alleged irregularities related to allocation of additional 2G spectrum in 2002.
"We cannot give clarification on everything. Order passed by this court is very clear and does not need any order", the apex court had said when Salve had submitted that the trial court had asked them to seek clarification of apex court's interim order.