2G: Essar bosses chargesheeted; deny role in scam

Essar Group promoters Anshuman and Ravi Ruia were among five persons chargesheeted on Monday by the CBI in a Delhi Court in connection with the 2G Spectrum allocation scam.

Besides Ruias, the CBI charged Essar Group director (strategy and Planning) Vikas Saraf, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan and her husband I P Khaitan.

The agency also named three companies -- Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding as accused in the case.

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All of them have been chargesheeted under section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC.

Essar group in a statement denied all allegations against its officials and the company.

The 105-page charge sheet containing 398 documents was brought in five trunks before Special Judge O P Saini who will take cognizance of the charge sheet on December 17.

The charge sheet named 100 prosecution witnesses.

This is the third charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case.

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Essar Group on Monday denied any involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam and said it has complied with in totality with all conditions of telecom licences.

"We would like to reiterate that Essar has complied with all conditions of clause 8 under UASL guidelines (dealing with cross-holding) in totality and all the facts which have been given at the time of submitting the application for telecom licence i.e, shareholding/ownership have been independently verified by the government agencies," Essar Group said.

Essar Group is a responsible corporate citizen and has always complied with all government guidelines and the law of the land, the group said.

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"The only charge filed by CBI is regarding the interpretation of a contractual issue. This relates to the question of violation of clause 8 under the UASL guidelines," Essar said.

The group said despite the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice having confirmed that there was no clause 8 violation, the CBI has proceeded with the chargesheet.

"CBI and the Attorney General have gone contrary to the opinion given by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The CBI has also gone against their internal legal advice," it said.

Essar will take legal recourse in this regard, the statement said.