A Delhi Court on Wednesday began trial against the promoters of Essar group and Loop Telecom, accused in a case arising out of probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam with recording of the statements of two CBI witnesses.

The agency has accused Essar group promoters Ravi Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan and Essar group Director (Strategy and Planning) Vikash Saraf along with these five, three telecom firms, Loop Telecom Pvt Ltd, Loop Mobile India Ltd and Essar Teleholdings Ltd., have also been arrayed as an accused in the case.

The special CBI court last month granted bail to the promoters of Loop Telecom and Essar Group Ravi Ruia, Anshuman Ruia, Kiran Khaitan and I. P. Khaitan and fifth accused Vikash Saraf.

The CBI has accused Loop and Essar promoters of criminal conspiracy (Section 120B IPC) to cheat (Section 420 IPC) the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which believed the Loop Telecom claim that it met the eligibility conditions under Clause 8 of the UAS licence guidelines and, therefore, issued it Letters of Intent, UAS licences and spectrum.

Vikash Saraf has been additionally charged with cheating (Section 420 IPC) in getting “false representations made to DoT officials” through his subordinates/employees certifying that the company was in compliance with Clause 8.

“That during the period July 23, 2007, to March 9, 2009, you all entered into an agreement at New Delhi, Mumbai and other unknown places, to do an illegal act or an act which was not illegal, namely, to cheat the DoT, into issuing 21 Letters of Intent, UAS licences for as many telecom circles and also valuable spectrum and in pursuance to the conspiracy, you concealed, behind a complex corporate veil, the actual stakeholders of Loop Telecom Ltd,” the Judge had said last Month.

CBI had also told a Delhi court that promoters of Essar Group and Loop Telecom resorted to false and dishonest impression to procure 2G spectrum thereby violating Unified Access Services Licences (UASL) guidelines.