Bengaluru: The vacation bench of the High Court has granted stay on the proceedings against Sunil Bharti Mittal and Gopal Mittal, chairman and managing director, respectively, of Bharti Airtel Limited in a criminal petition filed by a Bengaluru resident, alleging breach of trust by the mobile phone service provider.
Justice K N Phaneendra was hearing a petition filed by the chairman and managing director, nodal officers and other directors of Bharti Airtel, challenging the proceedings initiated by the magistrate court on a complaint registered by N Naresh Kumar, a resident of Bengaluru.
Kumar had alleged that his estranged wife had obtained his mobile call data records from Bharti Airtel from October 1 to October 9, 2012. He alleged that after getting the records, she started calling people in the call records, inquiring his whereabouts. When Kumar came to know about it, he filed a private complaint in a magistrate court in the City against the officials of Airtel, alleging breach of trust.
The court ordered the police to investigate the case. The ACP concerned, after conducting investigation, filed a summary report, stating that there was no truth in the case and that the complaint was filed with an intention to malign his wife, who had filed a complaint against Kumar.
Report not accepted
The magistrate court refused to accept the report and registered a case against the managing director, chairman, executive director and nodal officer of Bharti Airtel. The court also issued summons to them.
The officials of the company challenged the order before the High Court, stating that they had no role to play in the matter.
The bench stayed the proceedings in the magistrate court and issued a notice to the complainant.
