Additional spectrum case hearing against Mittal, Ruia scheduled for February 20

The hearing in the additional spectrum case, in which Bharti Cellular CMD Sunil Mittal, Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia and others have been summoned as an accused, was on Monday fixed for February 20 next year by a Delhi court.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini adjourned today's proceedings in the wake of stay granted by the Supreme Court on separate pleas filed by Mittal and Ruia challenging the March 19 order of the trial court summoning them as accused in the case. The apex court, in its April 26 interim order, had said that hearing against Mittal and Ruia will remain "postponed" in the trial court until further orders.

Mittal and Ruia did not appear in the court on Monday while former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh, who is also an accused in the case, appeared before it.

Mittal, Ruia and Canada-based NRI Asim Ghosh, who was then a Managing Director of accused firm Hutchison Max Telecom Pvt Ltd, were summoned as accused by the trial court. The summon to Asim Ghosh have not been served yet. Mittal, Ruia and Asim Ghosh were not named as accused in CBI's charge sheet filed on December 21, last year.

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Three telecom firms - Bharti Cellular Ltd, Hutchison Max Telecom Pvt Ltd (now known as Vodafone India Ltd) and Sterling Cellular Ltd (now known as Vodafone Mobile Service Ltd) - are also accused in the case.

CBI, in its charge-sheet, had named Shyamal Ghosh and the three telecom companies as accused in the case relating to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) allocating additional spectrum which had allegedly resulted in a loss of Rs. 846 crores to the exchequer.