HC upset over absence of CBI counsels in 2G scam appeal final hearing

Delhi High Court expressed displeasure over the absence of CBI counsels at the start of the final hearing of 2G scam appeal cases filed by the agency. Postponing the next date of hearing to May 19, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed CBI to start arguments.

“No one is present on behalf of the CBI in the present case when the matter has been taken up. In the interest of justice, adverse orders are deferred,” said the daily order uploaded on Thursday on the court’s proceeding on February 12. Enforcement Directorate’s counsels were present.

CBI and ED filed an appeal against the trial court’s order acquitting all the accused in the 2G scam cases on March 2018. Already, 17 judges have heard the appeal for the past eight years. Already 140 hearing took place in the high-profile case, which is going on snail pace.

It took 126 hearing to get the basic procedure of leave to grant an appeal, which normally gets in 3-4 hearings in the majority of the cases. After granting leave to grant an appeal for CBI and ED in March 2024, the High Court had issued orders for a speedy trial. But for more than six months, CBI and the High Court Registry were in loggerheads on the digitisation of documents in 18 trunks. After seven hearing, the High Court had ordered the Registry to hand over digitised documents to the CBI and all the accused persons and companies.

The last three hearings, the final argument not started due to the absence of the accused persons’ lawyers, seeking time. For the past eight years, CBI is represented by former ASG Sanjay Jain.

Along with other advocates of CBI, the agency’s SP-level officer will also present in the appeal.