New apex court bench to hear 2G case

NEW DELHI, INDIA: A new special apex court bench comprising Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Patnaik would hear all matters relating to the 2G case.

"There is a direction that all 2G matters be taken up by by a special bench comprising me and Justice A.K. Patnaik," Justice Singhvi told Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy when his plea was called out for hearing.

Swamy has challenged a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court's verdict rejecting his plea to make Home Minister P. Chidambaram an accused in the 2G case.

Justice Singhvi directed the court's registry to place Swamy's petition before Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia so that it could be listed before an appropriate bench.

The new special bench will also hear a plea by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation seeking a probe into the role Chidambaram, then the finance minister, in the pricing of 2G spectrum when A. Raja was the telecommunications minister.

The CPIL has already written to the apex court registry to club its plea along with that of Swamy's.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi appeared for Essar Teleholdings Ltd., which has challenging its trial by the special court, and told the court that his client could only be tried by a magistrate and not by the trial court judge.

The matter would next be taken up March 23.