Hi All: > > > > Let me stick to facts, and newspaper reports here. > > I would like you to go through this, ask as many > > questions > > as you want, and come to your own conclusions. > > > > > regards, > > samir > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > There have been a number of cases of illegalites > by > > the > > Reliance group. > > > > However, the convictions haven't been as many as > > they > > should have > > been. And in many cases, even though the > > courts/govt. > > have agreed > > that these have been illegalities, the govt. has > > either retrospectively > > changed the law to suit Reliance or let Reliance > get > > away with a paltry fine. > > > > Reliance has been convicted and had to pay a fine > of > > Rs. 150 crores > > for routing international calls as local. > > See below: > > > http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2207/stories/20050408001703200.htm > > > > > http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar052005/b10.asp > > > > > http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar052005/n18.asp > > > > The above crime is also a danger to the nations's > > security, as it is > > not possible to track calls from across the border > > --- > > from terrorists etc > > any more --- as they get camoflauged as local. > With > > the fact, > > the mobile calls become an important tracking > > mechanism for > > catching crimes --- remember the attack on the > > Parliament -- > > it becomes an anti-national act. > > > > The nature of our legal system is that for a crime > > of > > much > > smaller magnitude, there are other smaller > > businessmen > > who have > > got arrested!!! > > > > (please see the news item from TOI at the end of > the > > post) > > > > Reliance broke the law in offering roaming > > when they did not have the licence for doing so. > > Here > > is a link > > for that. > > > http://www.swadeshi.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=42 > > > > In retrospect, the govt. brought a unified > licence. > > > > > > The Indian govt. has launched an investigation > > against > > Reliance to > > check if there were any violations in offering RIC > > shares to > > Mahajan (the then Minister's) contacts. > > Here is a link to that. > > > > > http://news.ft.com/cms/s/1f04ec9c-97e0-11d9-912c-00000e2511c8.html > > > > > > Here is a link to a petition that asks the PM to > > intervene; > > one of the investors has launched a complaint with > > SEBi regarding this. > > > > > http://www.petitiononline.com/mno87918/petition.html > > > > Asian Age has done detailed investigations into > > this. > > I can pass the links > > if you wish. > > > > > > Even Anil Ambani has made allegations against RIL. > > Check out: > > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041228/biz.htm > > > > > > The point is: in most cases Reliance gets away > > paying > > paltry fines. > > In other words, the breaking of the law, and > getting > > away by paying > > the fines is incorporated in their business model > > itself. > > Given that fines are not much, the law does not > end > > up > > having any > > teeth. > > > > Thus, Reliance's methods are well-known. > > > > In a country such as India, where corruption is so > > rampant, there is > > hardly any seriousness in implementation of laws > > against corporate fraud. > > > > Please note that violating licence conditions and > > then > > getting away with > > it gave undue advantage to Reliance over other > > competitors. > > > > There is also documented evidence of Reliance > > harassing its consumers, > > bringing about false bills etc. The foll. is the > > case > > in case of power. > > please note that suburban Bombay consumers have no > > choice regarding power. > > There is a Reliance monopoly out there. > > > > > http://www.indianexpress.com/columnists/full_column.php?content_id=47938 > > > > There are cases of false billing in case of their > > mobile service also. > > > > > > There are also complaints against Reliance for > > anti-competitive/predatory > > pricing. > > > > Here is a complaint by the cellular operators > > against > > Reliance predatory > > pricing. > > > > > http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/03/31/stories/2005033102470300.htm > > > > The idea is simple here: capture the market by > > predatory pricing, then > > increase the price once customers are gained. > Fines > > levied if any will > > come under business expenses, as these are > accounted > > for in the business > > model. > > > > Here is TRAI's investigation into Reliance's > > predatory > > pricing. > > > > > > > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050331/asp/business/story_4555549.asp > > > > But going by past records, TRAI has failed to show > > that they have teeth. > > > > Read in detail: Gurumurthy's article for which I > > have > > given the link > > above. Here is the link again. > > > http://www.swadeshi.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=42 > > > > Also, TRAI chief has avoided TRAI's regulatory > > responsibility in the case > > of camoflaging of international calls by Reliance, > > before. > > See here the Left baying for TRAI's chief head. > > > > > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050305/biz.htm#2 > > > > Here is a complaint about Reliance predatory > pricing > > in the diesel sector. > > > > > http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/10/12/stories/2004101202430100.htm > > > > As to Reliance creating jobs, even Telgi had > created > > a > > lot of jobs for > > his cronies. > > > > The point is: Reliance has hardly created any new > > technology. I am told > > that Reliance has hardly filed any patents, for > > instance. > > > Apart from this, Mukesh has misrepresented his educational qualifications. Apparently, he does not have an MBA from Stanford as he claims. > > > > Further there are complaints (still unproven) > about > > Reliance Mobile billing > > beginning > > when the ringing starts, not when the called party > > picks up the phone. > > > > . > > > > Reliance has made money on the stock market, but > > because > > of their contacts they have always been able to > get > > out while the small investors > > get in trouble. > > > > Check here in the case of US-64, how Reliance was > > able > > to pull its money out > > in time. > > > > http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0213/02132005_surjeet.htm > > > > Check also here an article which questions whether > > SEBi is selective in > > its treatment of Reliance re: the L & T issue. > > > > > http://fecolumnists.expressindia.com/full_column.php?content_id=51211 > > > > I could unearth more information, if you wish. > > > > All of the above, you will agree, puts other > > competing > > businessmen at a > > disadvantage. But the real problem I am personally > > worried about is that > > a top corporate which does not have any qualms is > > assuming too much power > > in our country. Once multiple core sectors get > into > > their hands, what they > > could do would know no bounds. Essentially, we > > believe > > that the freedom of > > a billion plus Indian people could be in jeopardy. > > > > > > > > > > Please also note that if Reliance were to follow > the > > Indian law in letter > > and spirit, I would have nothing against them. > > Specifically, I have nothing > > personally against the Ambani brothers. The point > > is: > > how does one make > > them follow the Indian law? It can only be done if > > people such as us take > > stands in the matter, is my unavoidable > conclusion. > > > > Jai Hind!!! > > > > Samir Kelekar, phD > > BTech IIT Bombay 83 > > > > > > > > The times of India snippet about the arrest of > > Nagpur > > businessmen. > > > > The Times of > > India, Pune, > > Saturday, December 4, 2004 on page no. 5. > > > > International phone > > call > > racket busted > > > > Nagpur: A racket in routing international > telephone > > calls, using > > internet telephony, was busted here on Friday by > the > > city police, in a > > joint operation with the department of > > telecommunication and BSNL. > > > > Four youths were arrested by the police for > causing > > revenue loss to > > the tune of lakhs of rupees to the BSNL. > > > > Benjamin Samuel, Yash Verma, Prashant Kasimkar and > > Rajiv Uttarwar had > > set up Sidpro Network Systems in west Nagpur. > Using > > the Net, they > > received calls at cheaper rates in a tie-up with > an > > US > > service > > provider, and then routed these through a computer > > and > > fixed line > > woreless terminals to divert as domestic calls. > > > > The racket came to light when a Pune resident > > noticed > > that the > > international call received by him was registered > > with > > Nagpur's STD > > code. The caller alerted the BSNL and DoT > > authorities, > > who took it up > > with the Nagpur Police. They then zeroed-in on the > > culprits. TNN > > > > > > > > > >
