Unitech was ready for 2G spectrum in advance: Court told

Mohit Gupta, who worked as an executive in Unitech Ltd from March 2007 to May 2010, told the court that the firm had got its demand drafts ready in October 2007 itself as an "act of preparedness" despite it amounting to blocking huge money.

"This was done despite the fact that it amounted to blocking huge amount of money," he told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

Testifying as a prosecution witness, Gupta said Unitech Ltd had prepared the demand drafts in October 2007 and got them re-validated in December 2007.

"It is correct that the company (Unitech Ltd) had got its demand drafts prepared in October 2007 itself and got them re-validated in December 2007 and this was done as an act of preparedness as, as and when LoIs were to be issued, we must be ready," he said.

His statement assumes significance as the CBI, in its charge sheet, had alleged that Unitech Ltd and Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, accused in the case, had "prior knowledge" of the first-come-first-served process and they were keeping the demand draft ready since early October-November 2007 itself.

During the cross examination, Gupta said the company had "first attempted" to file the applications for Unified Access Service Licences (UASL) in the Department of Telecom (DoT) on September 21, 2007 but it could not be deposited as they were not carrying the applications in duplicate.

The applications were finally filed on September 24, 2007, he said. (More) PTI ABA RKS