In spite of the summons issued to them, Essar and Loop Telecom promoters failed to appear before the 2G trial court in the capital on Wednesday. This was the second time they did not show up in the court.
Lawyers of Essar’s Anshuman Ruia and Ravikant Ruia and Loop’s I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan sought exemption from Wednesday’s hearing in the Patiala House trial court as the four accused in the 2G case were out of the country in connection with their business. Mukul Rohatgi, counsel for Ruias, also said that the summons were not issued properly. The fifth accused Vikas Saraf, director (strategy and planning), Essar, was present in the court along with his lawyers and moved his bail petition in the special court.
Special CBI judge O P Saini granted exemption to four accused and gave a “longish date” of March 17, 2012, for the next hearing. Saini directed that all accused had to remain present in person on the next date of hearing. On January 27, Ruias and Khaitans had failed to respond to the summons for the first time. At that point, they were not even represented by their lawyers, citing reasons that summons were not sent at the correct address.
