New Delhi: Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia has faced the ire of the special 2G court which dismissed his plea seeking permission to travel abroad noting that the documents attached with his application appeared to be "suspect" and he was apparently "hiding appropriate facts".
The court also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on Ruia, who is facing trial along with others in a case arising out of the 2G scam probe, while dismissing his petition observing that he was "hell bent" upon filing such applications which results in wastage of court's time.
"Furthermore, the documents attached with the application also appear to be suspect as in some documents, applicant/ accused (Ruia) is shown to be chairman and director of Essar Energy, whereas in other documents, he has been shown to be Advisor...," Special CBI Judge O P Saini said.
The court further said, "though the senior advocate (who appeared for Ruia) tried to save the situation by claiming that the applicant/accused has since ceased to be chairman and director of Essar Energy, but this fact was not made clear anywhere in the application."
Ruia had filed the plea seeking court's permission to travel to Russia, UAE, USA and UK from June 3 to June 30 for business purposes and also for consulting doctors for his health related issues.
CBI opposed his plea saying documents attached with his plea were "vague" and the itinerary provided by him does not make any sense as he claims that he would be in Europe from June 9 to June 16 without specifying the countries.
The court dismissed Ruia's plea noting that, "A bare look at the observations and the number of frequent applications filed by the applicant/accused would show that he is hell bent upon filing such applications and thus, wasting the time of the court."
"I have no manner of doubt that the repeated and back?to-back filing of such applications is aimed at creating an environment of uncertainty, enervation and ennui so that the main case languishes and does not reach the stage of disposal," the judge said.
Essar Group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters Kiran Khaitan, her husband I P Khaitan and Vikash Saraf, Essar Group Director (Strategy and Planning), are facing trial in the case along with three companies -- Loop Telecom Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Tele Holding Ltd (ETHL).
The five individual accused, who are out on bail, have denied the charges levelled against them by CBI.
In his order, the judge said, "...I find that the application is not only without merit but has been moved with ulterior motives and deserves to be dismissed with exemplary cost. However, regarding cost, I am inclined to take lenient view in the hope that applicant/accused would mend his ways."
The court is hearing final arguments in the case.
CBI had chargesheeted the accused on December 12, 2011, alleging they had cheated the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) by using Loop Telecom as a "front" to secure 2G licences in 2008.
On May 25, 2012, the court had framed charges against all the accused under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with section 420 (cheating) of the IPC. The charge of cheating was separately made out against Saraf only.
During the recording of prosecution evidence in the case which started on July 26, 2012, the court had recorded the statements of 95 CBI witnesses, running into 1,056 pages, while the accused examined 12 witnesses in their defence.
