The Supreme Court said Thursday that after a “long hiatus” it would resume the hearing of 2G related matters from Sep 27 and continue proceedings on the subsequent Thursday in the next week.
An apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan said that after a “long hiatus” they will commence the hearing of the 2G related matters from the coming Thursday and would continue even on the subsequent Thursday.
The court directed its registry to inform counsel for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department. There are a number of reports by the government agencies that are pending with the court for its considerations. Besides, there are also a number of applications relating to the case.
The court order for resuming the hearing of the 2G related matters came after it adjourned hearing on a petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Kirit Chidambaram.Swamy sought the action for Chidambaram and his son allegedly filing a defamation case against him in Singapore in order to shackle him from pursuing the 2G cases in the trial court.
He sought initiation of the contempt proceedings alleging that Advantage Strategic Consulting Singapore (ASC Singapore) held by Chidambaram’s son had filed a defamation case against him for pointing to questionable transactions between the company and telecom company Aircel.
Swamy said that filing of the defamation case was a move to engage him in overseas cases which would involve his time and resources and thus restrict his engagement with the 2G cases.
The Janata Party president said that the use of internet information to file cases anywhere in the world was a new phenomenon and this could be used to fetter the public spirited litigants. ‘This public spirited person could be fettered by a new phenomenon of internet because this (internet information) can be used to file cases anywhere. I will have to travel to different countries to defend myself. Hiring counsel would become too expensive,’ Swamy told the court.
Swamy told the court that the case against him had been filed by a Singapore-based Advantage Strategic Consulting, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advantage Strategic Consulting India.The court was told that Advantage Strategic Consulting India was owned by Kirit Chidambaram.
The court asked Swamy if he had impleaded Advantage Strategic Consulting Singapore as a respondent which could be issued notice for the pursuance of his contempt petition.The court adjourned the matter after Swany said that he would amend his petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Chidambarams to implead the company.
