2G case: CBI distorting truth and misleading court, says ETHL

Essar Teleholdings Ltd (ETHL) today told a Delhi court hearing the 2G spectrum case that the CBI has deliberately "distorted" the truth and "misled" the court by giving incomplete facts in the charge sheet filed against them.

Essar Teleholdings Ltd (ETHL) on Tuesday told a Delhi court hearing the 2G spectrum case that the CBI has deliberately "distorted" the truth and "misled" the court by giving incomplete facts in the charge sheet filed against them.

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Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for ETHL, said the case against them is not a 2G related case as they have not been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and no government officials are involved in it.

Salve, who was opposing framing of charges against ETHL, said the facts given by the CBI in the charge sheet was incorrect where the agency has described that foreign firm Hutchison was planning to exit from the joint venture Hutchison Essar Ltd.

"This is a deliberate distortion of truth (by the CBI)," he said.

"The CBI is deliberately misleading you (judge). The Supreme Court judgement (in the Vodafone tax case) falsifies everything written (in para 30) in the charge sheet. The dates are wrong, the period mentioned is wrong and even the inferences made are wrong," Salve told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

The CBI, in its charge sheet filed on December 12 last year, had named Essar group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia and Loop Telecom promoters I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan, besides Essar Group Director (Strategy and Planning) Vikash Saraf as accused in the case.

Besides the five persons, three companies -- Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Teleholdings Ltd --are also accused in the case.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged that the accused had committed offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy for obtaining 2G licences in 2008.