The Delhi High Court announced today that it will expedite hearings on appeals by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the 2017 acquittal of ex-telecom minister A Raja, alongside several business entities and individuals involved in the 2G spectrum allocation scandal.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma expressed frustration at requests for continued delays, emphasising the court’s urgency in addressing the matter. “How will we continue like this? We can’t continue giving dates like this,” voiced Justice Sharma.
In December 2017, a special court acquitted all those charged, including A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, as the prosecution was unable to establish their guilt. Both CBI and ED subsequently challenged this verdict in 2018.
The case originally focused on a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the national exchequer. This loss was reportedly due to the 2008 issuance of second generation (2G) spectrum licences at 2001 prices, bypassing the competitive bidding process, as alleged by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation.
