The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking early hearing on their appeals challenging the acquittal of former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation cases.
They have sought early hearing of the appeal, which is listed for October 12.
Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain had on previous hearing told the High Court that Justice Brijesh Sethi, who has been hearing the CBI and ED’s appeals, will demit the office on November 30.
Mr. Jain had asked for the appeals to be heard and decided expeditiously and said if they were to be heard afresh by another Bench it would cost too much to the exchequer.
Justice Sethi, before whom the agencies’ latest application came up on Monday, asked them to serve a copy of their applications to all respondents in the case. The court then listed the early hearing applications for September 10.
2017 verdict
In December 2017, a Special CBI Court here had acquitted Mr. Raja, Kanimozhi and others in the CBI and ED cases relating to the 2G case noting that the prosecution had “miserably failed” to prove the charges.
The Special CBI Court also acquitted 17 others, including the late DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa, film producer Karim Morani, P. Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, director of Kalaignar TV, in the ED case.
On March 19, 2018, the ED approached the High Court challenging the special court order acquitting all the accused. A day later, the CBI too had challenged the acquittals.
