By IANS,
New Delhi: A trial court Wednesday disposed of a petition of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa filed for restraining media from reporting court proceedings on the controversial 2G spectrum allocation case.
“Self-restraint is a great virtue which may be practiced and exercised by all concerned, including those who expect it from others. It is prayed that the application may be disposed of…,” said Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge O.P. Saini.
Balwa filed the petition alleging that media wrongly reported his counsel as saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be listed as a witness in the case.
According to the media reports, Balwa’s counsel had during his argument April 27 said that the prime minister should also be made witness. But the next day, he retracted his statement, saying that he was wrongly quoted.
Terming media as an “important part of the society”, the court added:, “Media is free to report events in its wisdom but while reporting the court proceedings, it must exercise self-restraint.”
Balwa, managing director of DB Realty, which floated Swan Telecom, was arrested Feb 8 in Mumbai.
The DB Group’s telecom arm had sold 45 percent stake to the UAE-based Etisalat for $900 million (Rs.4,500 crore) in 2009. The company is now known as Etisalat-DB.
In 2008, Swan Telecom bagged 2G licences for 13 of the 22 circles across India, including the crucial Mumbai and Delhi areas, for Rs.1,537 crore.
Within months, it sold 45 percent of its stake to Etisalat for Rs. 4,500 crore.