CBI files case against Airtel,Tata,SingTel

The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI has registered a case against Bharti Airtel,Tata Communication and Singapore Telecommunications for illegally providing international long distance ILD services,and allegedly causing a loss of nearly Rs 48 crore to the government.

According to the CBI,the three telcos have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the IPC and also under the Indian Telegraph Act for violating the Department of Telecommunications licencing norms. An FIR has been filed on a complaint of the Ministry of Communications and IT.

A CBI spokesperson said that it had come to the notice of DoT that there was an unauthorised international long distance service provider M/s Singapore Telecommunications which was selling unauthorised ILD services to Indian customers since 2004 without the required licence in connivance with Bharti Airtel and Tata Communications.

Sources said the actual loss can be calculated after getting the amount collected by illegal ILD Services provided from various Indian customers.