2G Scam: Delhi High Court to Hear CBI Appeal Against Acquittals from January 13, 2021

New Delhi, December 1: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said that it will hear from January 13 an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the acquittal of all 2G spectrum scam accused, including former telecom minister A Raja.

A single-judge bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna said it will hear the "leave to appeal" in the matter from January 13. The case was transferred to Justice Khanna after Justice Brijesh Sethi, who was hearing the CBI appeal in the 2G spectrum allocation case, retired on November 30.

Recently, Justice Sethi rejected several petitions of acquitted accused against sanctions granted by the central government for the CBI to file an appeal against their acquittal. The High Court had also rejected the plea of individuals stating that the CBI had filed the appeal against their acquittal without placing on record the mandatory approval by the central government.

Justice Sethi had released the appeals against 2G verdict from his board as he retired on November 30. The appeals will now be listed before another judge on December 1, he had said.

The court had also said the 2018 amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act would not apply to crimes committed prior to that.

The High Court had in October commenced a day-to-day hearing on CBI's "leave to appeal" against a trial court order, which acquitted all the accused in the 2G case.

Leave to appeal is formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court. In December 2017, a Special CBI Court had acquitted DMK politicians A Raja, Kanimozhi, and 15 others, implicated in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.