The Delhi High Court today deferred, till January 10th, the hearing on the pleas of Essar Tele holdings Ltd and Loop Telecom Ltd, facing charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy in the 2G spectrum case.

Indicted by the CBI in its third charge sheet for cheating and criminal conspiracy, the two telecom firms had contended in their pleas to the High Court that Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini was empowered to hear only the cases lodged under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier, the Special CBI court had taken cognisance of the third charge sheet and asked the promoters of Essar group and Loop Telecom to appear before it on January 27th.