Supreme Court Issues Notice in Airtel One-Time Spectrum Charges Case
The Supreme Court issued notice on the Union of India’s appeal challenging a Bombay High Court ruling that quashed DoT demand notices imposing one-time spectrum charges on Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The Court noted that while spectrum is held in public trust, the government must follow licence agreement terms under the Telegraph Act and cannot impose retrospective liabilities beyond contracts. The Union cites statutory powers; Airtel’s side backs the High Court’s reasoning.