Supreme Court rejects telecom firms' plea for relief on $13 bn govt dues

India’s top court on Thursday rejected petitions by mobile operators including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea seeking a review of its order to pay a bulk of nearly $13 billion in dues to government.

The Supreme Court late last year upheld a demand by the country’s telecoms department that wireless carriers pay 920 billion rupees ($12.98 billion) in overdue levies and interest, a decision that almost threatens the survival of Vodafone Idea.