Promoters of EssarTeleholdings and Loop Telecom on Monday denied the charges of conspiracy and cheating slapped on them by the CBI saying that there was no complaint against them from the Department of Communication (DoT).  

 Giving a short shrift to the CBI allegations, Harish Salve who is representing the companies said the agency framed the charges without looking at the facts.

"You (CBI) do not have to go on a wild goose chase just because you have seen a complex (corporate) structure. Facts (given in the chargesheet) are at odds with the final conclusion they (CBI) are arriving at," Salve told special CBI judge O P Saini. 

"The owner (DoT) is not complaining. You have not heard any complaint from the DoT has the decision making body, the government has told you about this?" Salve asked.

"It is true that Essar helped Khaitans to get new licence as he ( Ravi Ruia) knew that new players are coming and he will sell his shares. But to say that they did something wrong in August 2006 is wrong," Salve said.

Last week CBI 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.

 "The basic case of the prosecution (CBI) is that they (accused) have violated clause 8 of the UASL guidelines and false and dishonest impression (made by them) is the crux of the matter," Special public prosecutor UU Lalit had told designated CBI Judge O P Saini.

 "No single company or legal person, either directly or through its associates, shall have 10 per cent or more equity holding in more than one licensee company in the same service area for the same service, he said.