Delhi HC Admits CBI's Appeal Against Acquittal Of A Raja, Others In 2G Spectrum Allocation Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday (22 March) admitted the appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the acquittal of A Raja, K Kanimozhi and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma allowed CBI's "leave to appeal” against the trial court order acquitting 17 accused in the 2G case.

Leave to appeal is a formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision before a higher court.

Justice Sharma said on the basis of the material on record and the submissions made by the lawyers for the parties, a prima facie case is made out by the CBI which requires deeper examination and the appeal needs to be heard in detail.

“Leave to appeal is granted. List the appeal for hearing in May,” the judge said, news agency PTI reported.

The appeal was filed by the CBI in 2018.

After six years and 125 listings, the order on the plea was finally reserved on 14 March 2024.

The matter was heard by seven different judges before it finally came to Justice Sharma.

A Special CBI Court at Patiala House had in December 2017 acquitted Raja, Kanimozhi and 15 others implicated in the case.

As per the CBI’s charges, Raja, who was Union Telecom Minister during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, caused huge losses to the state exchequer by undercharging telecom firms for frequency licences.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India had estimated the total loss to be Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

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