New Delhi: CBI on Monday told a special court that documents recovered during the investigation and statements of various prosecution witnesses examined during trial in a 2G spectrum scam case, showed that Essar Group of companies was controlling Loop Telecom.
Advancing final arguments in the case in which promoters of Essar Group and Loop Telecom are facing trial along with others, Special public prosecutor Anand Grover referred to the documents and statements of prosecution witnesses to buttress the agency's claim.
Grover told Special CBI Judge O P Saini that the materials collected by the agency during its probe corroborated that the Essar Group of companies had provided the funds for the entire transactions relating to the case.
"Essar Group of companies was fully controlling Loop," Grover told the court and gave details of the money flow which allegedly took place in the entire case. He also read out statements given by some of the witnesses during their testimonies before the court during the trial.
CBI arguments today remained inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.
The CBI had earlier told the court that accused firm Loop Telecom Ltd (LTL) was "used" by Essar Group of companies to acquire 2G licences by "circumventing" the procedures.
Essar Group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters, Kiran Khaitan, her husband I P Khaitan and Essar Group Director (Strategy and Planning) Vikash Saraf are facing trial in the case, along with three telecom firms -- LTL, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding Ltd (ETHL).
The five individual accused, who are out on bail, have all denied the charges levelled by CBI.
CBI had earlier alleged before the court that Essar Group of companies had violated clause 8 of Unified Access Services Licences (UASL) guidelines to secure the radiowaves.
As per clause 8 of UASL guidelines, "No single company or legal person, either directly or through its associates, shall have 10 per cent or more equity holding in more than one licensee company in the same service area for same service."
CBI had chargesheeted the accused on December 12, 2011, alleging they had cheated the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) by using Loop Telecom as a "front" to secure 2G licences in 2008.
The court on September 15, 2014 had concluded recording of defence evidence in a case.
On May 25, 2012, the court had framed charges against all the accused under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with section 420 (cheating) of the IPC, while the charge of cheating was made out against Saraf only.
During the recording of prosecution evidence in the case which started on July 26, 2012, the court had recorded the statements of 95 CBI witnesses, running into 1,056 pages, while the accused examined 12 witnesses in their defence.
