TDSAT rejects RCom's anti-COAI contempt plea

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) today rejected a contempt application filed by Anil Ambani group company Reliance Communications against Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), for allegedly taking the legal battle on spectrum on a media trial.

Reliance Communications wanted COAI officials, including director general T V Ramachandran, to be punished for contempt of the telecom tribunal, an argument dismissed by the appellate authority.

The COAI, however, declined to comment on the issue.

The tribunal, however, turned down a COAI request to impose cost on RCom.

COAI countered the charges, saying Anil Ambani himself was giving out information to the media on the spectrum war, including a letter written by him to the Prime Minister that attacked GSM operators Vodafone and Bharti Airtel.

Appearing for COAI, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi also submitted the copies of inputs originating from Anil Ambani that appeared in newspapers.

During the proceedings, RCom's counsel contended that COAI was making statements on a daily basis in the media on this subject, which is a sub-judice matter. He also requested the tribunal to pass a direction to COAI restraining them for taking the matter to the media.

However, TDSAT chairman Justice Arun Kumar turned it down.

On November 12, TDSAT had impleaded RCom and made it a party in the COAI's petition challenging DoT's direction over dual technology.