Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani was on Thursday exempted by a Delhi court from personally appearing before it on Friday as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Special CBI Judge O. P. Saini allowed the plea of Mr. Ambani, who was summoned seeking exemption from personal appearance on the ground that he has “pre-scheduled” business engagements.
Mr. Ambani filed an application in the court, saying he had received the summon on July 23 and “owing to extremely short notice of just two days”, it would not be possible for him to appear before it.
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“I wish to state that owing to the extremely short notice of just over two days and my large number of pre-scheduled and pre-committed business engagements, it will not be possible for me to travel to Delhi on July 26, 2013”, he said, adding that he would appear before the court any day after August 15.
“I request your honour to kindly grant an adjournment for my appearance and fix a new date at any time after August 15, 2013 at your convenience”, Mr. Ambani said.
Earlier, during the day, the Supreme Court refused to grant an urgent hearing on the plea of Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) challenging the trial court’s order summoning Mr. Ambani and his wife Tina Ambani as prosecution witnesses in the 2G case.
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The apex court has posted RTL’s application for hearing on Monday before a special bench, comprising justices Singhvi and K. S. Radhakrishnan, which is hearing all the matters pertaining to the 2G scam.
The special court had allowed CBI’s plea that the testimony of Anil and Tina Ambani may throw light on alleged investment of over Rs. 990 crore by his group companies in Swan Telecom, facing trial in the case along with its promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka.
RTL is an accused in the case. Three top Reliance ADAG executives Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair are also facing trial in the case.
CBI has alleged RTL used Swan Telecom, an ineligible firm, as its front company to get 2G licences and radio waves.