2G: Govt to withdraw review petition from SC

New Delhi: The government has written to the Supreme Court (SC) registrar asking that its petition seeking a review of the 2 February apex court verdict on 2G licences be withdrawn.

The government had filed the petition, which was accepted by the court on 13 April, seeking clarification on whether the verdict was a case of judicial overreach.

“In view of the fact that only limited notice has been issued, the petitioners do not want to press the review petition and will be praying for withdrawal of review petition,” a letter to the registrar of the Supreme Court said. A copy of the letter was reviewed by Mint.

While scrapping all 122 2G licences allotted to nine companies in 2008, the Supreme Court had said all natural resources should be auctioned. The government had sought to make an issue of the suggestion, and not the cancellations.

The petition was slotted to be heard on 10 May.

“The government decided to withdraw the review petition as it has been admitted only on limited non-telecom related grounds and hence would serve no purpose as faras telecom is concerned, ” said telecommunications secretary R. Chandrashekhar.