Ruffled by Reliance Industries Ltd’s efforts to stall its proposed deal with the South African telco MTN, Anil Ambani-led ADAG, is evaluating criminal proceedings against a few RIL employees, who had signed the controversial agreement on the January 12 , 2006 on the basis of which RIL has claimed the first right of refusal.

When contacted an RComm spokesperson said, ?At this stage, all options including criminal proceedings against LV Merchant, Sandeep Tandon, K Sethuraman and other RIL officials involved in the signing of January 12, 2006 agreement, are open if RIL seeks to rely on the alleged agreement?.

A RIL spokesperson, however, said, ?There is no criminality attached to the signing of the agreement dated January 12, 2006. If any proceedings are adopted, we will not only defend them but will also consider our options for such a malicious action.?

According to the RComm officials, the agreement was signed before the demerger of the two, at which point the RNRL board comprised essentially of present day RIL employees, while none of the current ADAG employees signed that agreement. RComm officials had earlier said that according to the government’s view and rulings of the apex court any such agreement even if exists, is null because it is against Article111 of the Articles of Association of the Company’s law 1956.

With the battle ensuing between the brothers once again, the proposed MTN deal being sealed within the time span of 45 days of exclusive negotiation looks like a distant possibility now.