Anil Ambani on tenterhooks for SC rescue from trial summons

Special 2G court asked Anil Amabni, his wife Tina Ambani to appear before it as additional witnesses

The Supreme Court has not listed for a Thursday hearing the appeal of Reliance Telecom challenging the summons issued by the spectrum misallocation case trial court to Chairman Anil Ambani and wife Tina Ambani. They had been summoned to appear before the latter court on Friday.

The company had moved the SC on Tuesday for an urgent hearing but the matter was referred to the special bench dealing with spectrum case matters. The judges who were dealing with these matters are presently on different benches. When Reliance counsel Mukul Rohtagi on Tuesday sought an early hearing from judge G S Singhvi in view of the shortage of time, the judge said he had to consult the other judge,  K S Radhakrishan, for forming the special bench.

Trial court judge O P Saini had, on Friday last week, summoned the Ambanis at the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). His order had said the examination “may help in reaching the truth and just decision of the case”, since both were supposed to be acquainted with the investments and divestments of Swan Capital and Swan Telecom, entities being probed.

Though the options before the Ambanis are limited, their lawyer can tell the trial court on Friday that the company’s appeal was pending before the SC and, so, it could wait for that decision. Legal experts, however, say if Ambani received the summons and still chooses to skip the hearing, he would have to give a good reason.

In its plea, CBI had stated Ambani was responsible for incorporation of shell companies such as Swan Telecom, Tiger Traders, Zebra Consultants, Parrot Consultants  and Giraffe Consultancy “and their interlocking equity structures”.

Ambani, however, is learnt to have denied the allegation that Swan Telecom was a Reliance Group company.