Reliance Jio Tower Vandalism Case: High Court Issues Notice to Punjab Govt, Centre

Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, on Monday, submitted in its plea that "vested" interests are engaged in spreading "false rumours" against it and that the petitioner, its parent company and its affiliates had no plans to enter corporate or contract farming.

New Delhi: A day after Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd filed a petition seeking urgent intervention of government authorities to bring a complete stop to illegal acts of vandalism of its towers and other communication infrastructure by miscreants, Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday  issued notices to the Punjab government and the Centre.

The court of Justice Sudhir Mittal heard the matter with government authorities represented by Advocate General (AG) Atul Nanda from Punjab and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India Satyapal Jain from Union of India and senior counsel Ashok Agarwal representing the petitioners RJIL.

A-G Nanda informed the court that the Punjab government has taken action and deputed more than 1,000 (1,019) patrol parties in Punjab and also deputed 22 nodal officers in the 22 districts to assess damage.

The court heard the initial depositions and issued notice of motion to the Government of Punjab and the Union of India to file their detailed reply at the court on Friday, January 8.

The judge asked the state government to particularly look into the provisions of the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act (Punjab Act), since prima facie, the Act did provide for protection to and prevention of damage to public and private properties during demonstrations, strikes, etc and also provided for the constitution of a ‘competent authority’ to take appropriate action against perpetrators.

During the ongoing agitation by farmers against three new farm laws enacted by the Centre, over 1500 mobile towers in Punjab have ben damaged.

Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, on Monday, submitted in its plea that “vested” interests are engaged in spreading “false rumours” against it and that the petitioner, its parent company and its affiliates had no plans to enter corporate or contract farming.

Justice Sudhir Mittal has issued notice of motion for February 8, according to Aashish Mittal, the counsel for Reliance Jio.

The company has made the state of Punjab through its chief secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Telecommunications and the Punjab Director General of Police as respondents in the matter.

In the civil writ petition, Reliance Jio has also sought appropriate directions to respondents for investigation into the well-orchestrated and sustained disinformation campaign being carried out by vested interests and miscreants against it.

In the petition, the company has stated that in the past few weeks, its over 1,500 telecom towers were damaged or rendered inoperative by miscreants crippling its mobile network in Punjab.

A number of its centres and stores were also forcibly closed by miscreants by using illegal force and intimidation, it submitted.

The petitioner submitted that its subscribers were being forced to port to other networks, while its employees were being subjected to grave threat to life and forcibly prevented from serving subscribers in the state.

According to the petition, vested interests inimical to the petitioner and its parent company Reliance Industries, are engaged in spreading false rumours to the effect that the petitioner and its affiliates were somehow a beneficiary of recent legislation passed by Parliament governing marketing of agricultural produce.

In a statement, Reliance said it “has nothing whatsoever to do with the three farm laws currently debated in the country, and in no way benefits from them .

The company also sought constitution of a competent authority under the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Act for the assessment of losses caused to it.

(With Agency Inputs)