Reliance Telecom moves Delhi HC for quashing of charges

Reliance Telecom on Monday filed a petition in the Delhi High Court for quashing of charges framed against it and its three executives by a CBI court in the 2G spectrum case.

In the petition, the company said there was not even prima facie case against the company and its three executives for criminal conspiracy. The company said the application for new licenses for Swan Telecom was filed months before A Raja took over as the telecom minister.

Reliance Telecom said it had exited Swan Telecom much before it was awarded new licenses in 2008 by Raja.

It has been alleged that Swan Telecom was an associate of Reliance Telecom.

The company in a statement said it has named CBI, the department of telecommunications (DoT), the law ministry and TRAI as respondents.

It said the framing of charges by special judge is unsustainable in law and facts.

The Special Court had framed charges against former telecom minister A Raja and other accused in the 2G spectrum scam on Saturday. The trial will begin on November 11.

The company had also said framing of charges is a preliminary stage in the commencement of the trial process and is by no means a finding of guilt.The bail petitions of the three company executives -- Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair are listed for hearing before the Supreme Court on 31st October.

The substantive charges framed on Reliance Telecom and its three executives remain limited only to the alleged abetment of cheating by others as part of an alleged conspiracy. "No substantive charge has been framed under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) on Reliance Telecom and the three executives," the company had said on Saturday.