DoT entitled to levy fine on SSTL: Additional solicitor general

NEW DELHI: Compounding woes for the Russian telecom operator Sistema-controlled SSTL, the additional solicitor general (ASG) has said that SSTL was not entitled to continue rendering telecom services after February 15, as all of its 21 permits stood expired.

Consequently, it has suggested that DoT is entitled to levy a penalty on it using the yardstick of UAL licences on the doctrine of 'unjust enrichment'.

SSTL, whose telecom permits to operate 21 circles across the country were part of the 122 licences quashed by the Supreme Court judgment of February 2 last year, had requested the telecom department to grant it additional time of a month to wind up operations after it won spectrum back in 8 service areas in the auction conducted in March this year.

However, the ASG, AS Chandhiok has opined that since the operator didn't win any spectrum in the auctions conducted in November 2012, it was liable to discontinue services in all the service areas according to SC's order on February 15.