2G Scam: CBI names 100 witnesses to corner Essar-Loop

New Delhi: CBI has lined up 100 witnesses, including Adil Malia, Group President (HR) Essar Group, seeking to buttress its case in a Delhi Court against the Ruias and the Khaitans, accused in 2G spectrum case.

CBI also adduced 398 documents seeking to prove its case in which it has alleged Loop Telecom was created as a front company of Essar Group to secure 2G licenses in 2008.

The charge sheet against Essar and Loop contained documents running into over 20,000 pages, which were brought in five steel trunks in the courtroom.

Essar group promoters Anshuman and Ravi Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan, her husband IP Khaitan and Essar Group Director (Strategy and Planning) Vikas Saraf were made the accused. The companies named as accused are Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding.

Essar Group, in a statement, has denied any involvement in the 2G scam and said it has only 2.15 percent and there was no violation of clause 8 of the Unified Access Services Licences (UASL) guidelines.

It claimed CBI has confirmed that Essar was not not involved in the 2G scam.

CBI alleged the accused persons and companies created a “complex corporate veil” to cheat the DoT by concealing that Essar, an existing telecom operator having substantial shares in Vodafone (then Hutch) was having more than 10 percent stake in the Loop.

“Under a complex corporate veil fraudulently created by the accused companies and firms, Loop was an alter ego of Essar which is an existing operator,” CBI said.

However, it said like Reliance Telecom and Unitech Ltd, the other two accused firm, no evidence was found to prosecute Essar and Loop for their involvement in any “quid pro quo” in lieu of grant of licenses.

PTI