RCom withdraws plea in SC challenging TDSAT fine

MUMBAI, INDIA: Anil Ambani group company Reliance Communication on Wednesday withdrew from the Supreme Court its plea challenging strictures and fine of Rs. 150 crore imposed by telecom tribunal TDSAT when it was under the control of elder brother Mukesh.

The case was withdrawn by RCom counsel PH Parekh after the company officials and senior advocate Harish Salve took a decision in this regard, according to a PTI report.

The withdrawal incidentally comes at a time when a court in Chennai is pursuing a criminal prosecution initiated by CBI against top officials, including Manoj Modi, a top lieutenant of Mukesh Ambani, of erstwhile Reliance Infocomm.

The fine was imposed for masking incoming international calls as local ones to avoid payment of levy to state-owned telecom giants - BSNL and MTNL. The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice SH Kapadia, Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar passed some strict observations against the company while reading TDSAT's findings. After sensing the mood of the bench, it withdrew its petition.

Earlier, the Telecom tribunal TDSAT had directed the Anil Ambani group firm to pay Rs 50 lakh to BSNL to get point of interconnection (PoI) which the PSU disconnected due to non-payment of dues.

BSNL had on July 24, 2010 disconnected RCom from its network after the ADAG group firm failed to pay Rs 1.03 crore, raised by PSU in an additional bill for using its network in Jharkhand between May 2003 to December 2003.

Reliance Communication had also approached the telecom tribunal, seeking a stay on the disconnection notice issued by state-owned BSNL for its Gujarat circle over non payment of dues.