2G scam hearing: Delhi High Court fast-tracks case, grants all accused one last opportunity to file their responses

Update 1: 27 PM: All accused granted one last opportunity to file their responses. Court has said no more delay will be allowed in this case after this

Update 1: 27 PM: Delhi HC to hear the case on an urgent, fast-track basis after February 7

Update 1:27 PM: Delhi HC directs for all pleadings to be completed in the 2G case by February 7

Update 1:27 PM: CBI seeks an expedited hearing in the 2G Case

Update 1:27 PM: ASG Tushar Mehta asks the court to fix a definite date for hearing the case

Update 1:27 PM: CBI seeks urgent and immediate hearing of the case

Update 1:27 PM: Case file to be provided to the accused as well as the investigating agencies

Update 1:25 PM: All trial court records and the entire case file to be given to the accused within 2 weeks

Update 1:25 PM: Court says that the trial court records have been digitized

Update 1:25 PM: Accused allege that the CBI has not provided some requisite documents to the accused persons. Court says that is a problem that can be solved by a single phone call

Update 1:25 PM: The court expresses disappointment in the delay in the case on account of the accused in the 2G scam

Update 1:25 PM: Court says they are going to be given one last opportunity

Update 1:24 PM: Court says the replies have not been filed yet

Update 1:24 PM: Accused had sought time to file their responses to the appeal. Court pulls them up for not filing the reply

Update 1:24 PM: ASG Tushar Mehta - appeals have been filed by CBI and ED against the acquittal

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The Delhi High Court is all set to hear CBI’s appeal in the 2G spectrum case against the acquittal of former Telecom Minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others. A Special CBI court had acquitted all accused in the 2G case last year stating that the CBI had failed to prove the case before the court. An appeal was then filed by the CBI before the Delhi HC against the trial court order.

Read: WATCH: Kapil Sibal Counters Arun Jaitley On UPA-era Corruption After 2G Verdict

Here's the timeline of 2G Spectrum scam:

2007

• May: A. Raja appointed telecom minister
• August: Department of Telecommunications (DoT) initiates the process of allotment of 2G Spectrum and licences
• October: Raja announces that on the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, there would be no auction of spectrum, which would be allocated. DoT receives 575 applications from 46 firms.

2008

• January: DoT decides to issue licenses on a first-come, first served basis with a retrospective cut-off date of 25 September 2007

2009

• May: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) receives a complaint from Telecom Watchdog, a non-government organisation, alleging illegalities in 2G spectrum allocation. CVC orders a probe by the CBI
• July: The Delhi high court rules that the cutoff date for licence applications of 25 September 2007 is illegal
• October: A first information report is filed by the CBI against “unknown officers” of DoT and unknown private persons/companies under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act

2010

• September: The Supreme Court issues notice to the Centre and Raja on a petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an NGO, over an alleged Rs70,000 crore scam in granting 2G licences in 2008.
• November: A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, tabled in the Lok Sabha, says that allocation of 2G spectrum led to a presumptive loss of Rs1.76 trillion to the exchequer
• Raja steps down as telecom minister

2011

• February: The Supreme Court asks the Centre to constitute a special court for hearing cases related to irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum
• Raja is sent to 14 days in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the case
• March: A special CBI court is set up for hearing cases related to 2G scam
• DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi and four others are named in the second chargesheet filed by CBI.
• October: The special CBI court frames charges against all accused
• November: The special CBI court begins trial
• The Delhi high court grants bail to Kanimozhi, Sarath Kumar of Kalaignar TV, Karim Morani of Cineyug and DB Realty’s Rajiv Aggarwal and Asif Balwa.

2012

• February: The Supreme Court cancels 122 telecom licences and spectrum allocated to nine companies in January 2008 during Raja’s tenure, saying the process of allocation was flawed. It orders that the spectrum be auctioned

2014

• August: Enforcement Directorate (ED) files a chargesheet before the special CBI court against Raja, Kanimozhi, and 17 others 
• October: Charge of money laundering made out against A. Raja, Kanimozhi and others by a special CBI court

2015

• November: The Supreme Court rejects a plea by Kanimozhi for quashing of charges against her

2017

• April: The special CBI court reserves verdict in 2G spectrum allocation case
• December: The special court acquits all accuse