India, June 9 -- Granting relief to telecom companies Bharti Airtel Limited and Vodafone Idea Limited, the Bombay High Court on Monday quashed the central government's decision to levy a one-time spectrum charge retrospectively on telcos for spectrum held above 6.2 MHz 2008 onwards.

"The Union of India has not been able to justify its unilateral action of issuing the impugned decisions within the four corners of the terms and conditions of the contract/ license agreements or the relevant statutory provision and therefore, the retrospective effect of the same further demonstrates its illegitimacy, rendering the same unsustainable and liable to be set aside," the division bench of justices Manish Pitale and Shriram V Shirsat said in the or...