SC registry refuses to accept Centre’s plea on 2G spectrum verdict

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Registry is learnt to have refused to accept the Centre’s plea seeking modification of its 2012 verdict in the 2G spectrum case which had said the State was duty bound to adopt the auction route while transferring or alienating the country’s natural resources.

Sources said the apex court registry termed the plea of the government as misconceived and an attempt to seek a review of the judgement in the guise of seeking clarification.

The Registrar refused to receive it as per the provisions of Order XV Rule 5 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013.

“The Registrar may refuse to receive a petition on the ground that it discloses no reasonable cause or is frivolous or contains scandalous matter, but the petitioner may within 15 days of the making of such order, appeal by way of motion, from such refusal to the Court,” the SC rule reads.

As per it, the Centre may appeal against the order of the Registrar.

In its judgement delivered on February 2, 2012, the apex court had quashed 2G spectrum licences given to various firms during the tenure of A Raja as the telecom minister in January 2008.

On April 22, Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, had mentioned the application before a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala.

While seeking urgent listing of the application, the top law officer had told the bench that the plea seeks modification of the 2012 verdict as the Centre wanted to grant 2G spectrum licences in some other cases also.

The Centre, in its plea, has sought exemption from auctioning the 2G spectrum for non-commercial purposes in discharge of sovereign functions of the state.