SC to hear Sunil Mittal, Airtel pleas today

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court will hear on Monday a plea of A Sunil Bharti Mittal, CMD of Bharti Cellular Limited, against his summoning as an accused in a corruption case related to allocation of additional 2G spectrum in 2002. A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir will also be hearing Bharti Airtel's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order giving its nod to the Centre's decision holding the 3G roaming pact of the telecom major as illegal. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on March 15 had issued a notification restraining Bharti from providing 3G intra-circle roaming facilities in seven circles where it did not have the spectrum and also levied a penalty of Rs 350 crore (Rs 50 crore per circle) for violating the licence terms and conditions. The telecom major has challenged the decision of the division bench of the high court which had set aside its single judge's March 18 order staying the DoT notification. While challenging the special 2G court's order summoning him as an accused, Mittal has contended that criminal liability cannot be fastened on an individual for alleged acts of a firm.