2G scam: Court says Swamy's plea be heard by special court

"The Supreme Court had directed setting up of an exclusive court to deal with cases arising out of the 2G scam. District and Sessions Judge-1 is requested to kindly entrust this file (Swamy's case) to the court so constituted," Special CBI Judge Pradeep Chaddah said.

The court, while marking the file to the District Judge, asked Swamy to appear before the district court on March 25.

Swamy's lawyer Tarun Goomber sought exemption for his client from personal appearance for today as Swamy had to appear before the Supreme Court in the 2G case. The court allowed Swamy's plea.

The Delhi High Court had earlier decided to set up a special court exclusively to hold the trial in the 2G scam for expeditious hearing in the case.

High Court sources had told PTI that CBI Judge O P Saini, who is dealing with the case, has been appointed as a Special Judge to exclusively deal with the matter.

The CBI had earlier told the court that it is probing whether the country's internal security had been compromised due to the 2G spectrum allocation to ineligible telecom operators during former Telecom Minister A Raja's tenure.

The agency said it is investigating possibel threat to the internal security as per the concerns raised by Swamy, who had come to the court seeking a probe into scam.
Swamy had also sought the court's direction to appoint him as a public prosecutor to help the agency probe the case.

The agency had told the court that it had been probing the 2G scam within the confines of the first information report registered by it.

Swamy, in his petition filed before the court, had said Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, which were allotted licencees, had sold their major shares to two foreign companies Etisalat DB and Telenor, which is "a major threat" to national security.

"The first two licencees, Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless, soon after the allocation of spectrum to them sold their controlling shares respectively to Etisalat DB and Telenor. The national security risk from these companies are highlighted by the Union Home Ministry as their connections go right into Pakistan," Swamy had said.

Swamy had earlier sought the court's direction to the CBI to ask the Union Home Ministry, Research and Analysis Wing and other intelligence agencies to find out the bearings of 2G scam on national security.