New Delhi:
A Supreme Court bench has allowed GSM lobby group, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), to take its plea on dual technology case to the bench that is hearing the 2G spectrum allocation scam involving former telecom minister A Raja.
COAI counsels requested the bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph to transfer its plea before the bench of Justices G S Singhvi and AK Ganguly, who are hearing the 2G spectrum allocation case.
COAI is opposed to unified license and alleged that this changeover policy benefitted CDMA players Reliance and Tata.
It submitted that issues and facts in both the matters are similar and cover related issues.
COAI, in its petition, has challenged an order by the Delhi High Court, which had earlier turned down its plea.
On Tuesday, COAI is likely to mention before Justice Singhvi bench for taking up this case along with 2G case.
The bench of Justices Singhvi and Ganguly has ordered a court-monitored probe by CBI and Enforcement Directorate in the alleged scam involving Raja, who according to CAG report has caused a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.
During the last hearing on February 10, the bench had asked the CBI to bring under its scanner corporate houses which were beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum scam without being influenced by their status - be they millionaires or on the Forbes rich list.
COAI had approached the Supreme Court in 2009 challenging the judgement of telecom tribunal TDSAT, which upheld DoT's dual technology spectrum allocation policy.
It had made DoT, Trai, RCom, Tata Tele, HFCL Infotel Ltd and others as party in its plea.