LTL wants spl court to commit mistake, violate SC order: CBI

CBI today opposed the plea of Loop Telecom Ltd (LTL), facing trial in a case arising out of probe into 2G scam, for referring the matter to Lok Adalat, saying the accused want the special court to commit a "mistake" by passing an order in violation of the Supreme Court directive.
CBI argued that LTL, whose similar petition was dismissed by the court in March last year, has again filed the plea in the special court which cannot review its earlier order on the issue.
"This court has already passed an order on the issue and it cannot review it," Senior public prosecutor K K Goel told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

The prosecutor further said, "Why they (accused) are not going to Supreme Court on this issue? Why they want this court to commit a mistake or pass an illegal order?"
CBI argued that apex court had categorically ordered that only the special court would hear matters of 2G spectrum scam and "if this court will write in its order that the matter is referred to the Lok Adalat, then it will be a violation of the Supreme Court's order."
During the arguments, senior advocate S V Raju, appearing for LTL, argued that chances of arriving at a settlement was there as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has not said that they do not want to settle the issue.

"DoT is saying they are not a party to the case. DoT is not saying they do not want to settle or compound...Chances of settlement are there as DoT has said that they will abide by what the court will decide," he said.

Raju further said that LTL has already given a "concrete proposal" to DoT for settlement and the alleged offences, for which the firm is facing trial, were compoundable.
The court has reserved its order for March 12 on the plea filed by LTL and co-accused Vikash Saraf, Essar Group Director (Strategy and Planning) who are facing trial along with others including promoters of Essar Group, Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop promoters Kiran Khaitan, her husband I P Khaitan.

The court also said that it would hear final arguments in the case from April 1.
Lok Adalat is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism by which parties involved in civil and compoundable criminal cases try to arrive at a compromise to settle their case.