2G: Court exempts Ambani from appearing

Hours after the Supreme Court refused to give an urgent hearing to a plea moved by Reliance Telecom Ltd,a city court on Thursday exempted Anil Ambani,chairman of Reliance ADA Group from personal appearance before a special CBI judge to testify as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case on Friday.

Judge OP Saini had allowed CBIs request to summon Anil Ambani and his wife,Tina Ambani to court to explain the structuring and investment into shell companies involved in the 2G case. Ambani was scheduled to appear before the judge on Friday.

However,Ambani moved an application before the court stating that owing to the short summons notice (served on July 23) and large number of pre-scheduled and precommitted business engagements,he would not be able to travel to Delhi to appear before the court on Friday. He requested the court to grant him an adjournment and fix a date after August 15 for his personal appearance.