ED summons Vodafone, Bharti airtel next week

The Enforcement Directorate has sought appearance of Vodafone and Bharti Airtel next week in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged irregularities in the grant of additional 2G spectrum during 2001-03.

The Enforcement Directorate has sought appearance of Vodafone and Bharti Airtel next week in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged irregularities in the grant of additional 2G spectrum during 2001-03.

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The case pertains to Pramod Mahajan’s tenure as the telecom minister. The ED has alleged that then telecom secretary Shyamal Ghose and deputy director general (VAS) JR Gupta with the approval of Pramod Mahajan on January 31, 2002, took a ‘hurried decision’ to allocate additional spectrum beyond 6.2 megahertz in violation of the report of a technical committee. The agency claimed that the exchequer suffered loss to the tune of R508.22 crore due to the decision.

The ED had named former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghose, former deputy director general (VAS) JR Gupta and three companies — Bharti Cellular Limited, (now known as Bharti Airtel Limited), Huchinson Max Private Limited (now known as Vodafone Essar Limited) and Sterling Cellular Limited (now known as Vodafone Essar Mobile Services Limited)—in its enforcement case information report registered under the the PMLA.

Sources said the ED has now asked these firms to appear though their authorised representatives next week.