Firstpost
  • Home
  • Video Shows
    Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
  • World
    US News
  • Explainers
  • News
    India Opinion Cricket Tech Entertainment Sports Health Photostories
  • Asia Cup 2025
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
Trending:
  • Nepal protests
  • Nepal Protests Live
  • Vice-presidential elections
  • iPhone 17
  • IND vs PAK cricket
  • Israel-Hamas war
fp-logo
2G scam: Telecom Watchdog asks SC to rein in Khurshid
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter
Apple Incorporated Modi ji Justin Trudeau Trending

Sections

  • Home
  • Live TV
  • Videos
  • Shows
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Health
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • Web Stories
  • Business
  • Impact Shorts

Shows

  • Vantage
  • Firstpost America
  • Firstpost Africa
  • First Sports
  • Fast and Factual
  • Between The Lines
  • Flashback
  • Live TV

Events

  • Raisina Dialogue
  • Independence Day
  • Champions Trophy
  • Delhi Elections 2025
  • Budget 2025
  • US Elections 2024
  • Firstpost Defence Summit
  • Home
  • Business
  • 2G scam: Telecom Watchdog asks SC to rein in Khurshid

2G scam: Telecom Watchdog asks SC to rein in Khurshid

Raman Kirpal • December 20, 2014, 06:15:59 IST
Whatsapp Facebook Twitter

The Telecom Watchdog has asked the SC to note Salman Khurshid’s pronouncements on the Loop and Swan cases which are helping the accused.

Advertisement
Subscribe Join Us
Add as a preferred source on Google
Prefer
Firstpost
On
Google
2G scam: Telecom Watchdog asks SC to rein in Khurshid

Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid is again in the spotlight for his public utterances and official letters that allegedly give a clean chit to the Essar and Reliance (Anil Ambani) Groups for cross-holdings in Loop Telecom and Swan Telecom respectively. The accused are now using Salman Khurshid’s letters in the courts to defend themselves.

Telecom Watchdog, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and petitioner in the 2G scam, on Monday requested the Supreme Court to take suo motu note of the deliberate interference of some Union ministers in the ongoing 2G scam investigations, and especially Salman Khurshid. It has sought the initiation of criminal and civil contempt proceedings against him.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

[caption id=“attachment_191430” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid. Image courtesy PIB”] ![](https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/khurshid380.jpg "khurshid380") [/caption]

The Union government had earlier submitted an affidavit defending Khurshid and called the 2G litigation a ‘political interest litigation.’ In a counter-affidavit, the Telecom Watchdog alleged that Khurshid’s interference was clear from the clean chit he gave to the Essar/Loop and Swan/Reliance linkages.

More from Business
Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution

The Watchdog’s counter-affidavit said that the Attorney General, while giving his opinion, had listed out as many as 22 grounds for booking Essar/Loop in a case of cheating. “Despite this, the law ministry, under instructions from Mr Khurshid, at the instance of the accused company, gave an opinion that no case is made out. This opinion, along with the law ministry’s earlier opinion, is now being used by the accused while seeking quashing of charges,” argues the Watchdog.

Listing earlier reports from the Enforcement Directorate and the Reserve Bank of India, the counter-affidavit argued that these institutions had already given their observation that Loop was owned and controlled by Essar. “Despite this, Mr Khurshid has gone ahead with his opinion in the matter, contradicting the findings of the other departments, including the CBI.”

Impact Shorts

More Shorts
Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

The Telecom Watchdog alleges that Khurshid had interfered in the Swan Telecom case too, when he was the corporate affairs minister. The minister had allegedly approved a letter (dated 24 December 2010) which cleared Swan of the charge of cross-holdings by Reliance. Under telecom rules, an existing operator like Reliance Communications (RCom) cannot hold 10 percent or more in another telecom company in the same circle. RCom has, of course, contested this allegation.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

The Telecom Watchdog counter-affidavit says that Khurshid’s opinion “was sent even after the Comptroller and Auditor General had (raised) serious doubts over Reliance’s effective control over Swan, the unequivocal complaint of Arun Agarwal (a lawyer who first showed how Swan could be a front for Reliance) and the order dated 16 December 2010 of the apex court directing a court-monitored investigation”.

The accused in the Swan case are now using Khurshid’s opinion in the court for quashing the charges against them. The accused include three senior executives of the Reliance group and the top bosses on DB Realty.

Telecom Watchdog says Khurshid is still battling for the companies that are beneficiaries of the 2G scam. This amounts to clear abuse of ministerial authority to benefit private companies, especially when the Supreme Court had given clear instructions that “no one shall interfere with the functioning of CBI team and the officers of ED who are investigating what has been described as the 2G scam”. The NGO hoped that the court would take “serious cognisance of any endeavour by any person or group of persons in this regard.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Tags
Salman Khurshid Reliance Communications 2GScam Telecom Watchdog Swan
End of Article
Latest News
Find us on YouTube
Subscribe
End of Article

Impact Shorts

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

The Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9e are new electric SUVs in India. The Harrier EV has a modern, familiar design, while the XEV 9e features a bold, striking look. They cater to different preferences: the Harrier EV for subtle elegance and the XEV 9e for expressive ruggedness.

More Impact Shorts

Top Stories

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House

Top Shows

Vantage Firstpost America Firstpost Africa First Sports
Latest News About Firstpost
Most Searched Categories
  • Web Stories
  • World
  • India
  • Explainers
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Cricket
  • Tech/Auto
  • Entertainment
  • IPL 2025
NETWORK18 SITES
  • News18
  • Money Control
  • CNBC TV18
  • Forbes India
  • Advertise with us
  • Sitemap
Firstpost Logo

is on YouTube

Subscribe Now

Copyright @ 2024. Firstpost - All Rights Reserved

About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms Of Use
Home Video Shorts Live TV