Aircel-Maxis: CBI, ED challenge discharge of Maran brothers

Patiala House court in Delhi had discharged Dayanidhi and Kalainithi Maran in the Aircel-Maxis case.

New Delhi, Feb 3: The CBI and ED will challenge the order that discharged the Maran brothers in the Aircel-Maxis case. The Patiala House court in Delhi had discharged Dayanidhi and Kalainithi Maran in both cases that were probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

Arguing against the discharge in the Supreme Court, the counsel for the agencies said that the special court had erred in not ordering the discharged accused to furnish bail bonds. It is my duty to file the appeal, the prosecutor also submitted in the court. Further the counsel also urged the Supreme Court not to release the properties of the accused attached in connection with this case.

The special court on Thursday found no ground to proceed against the Marans and the rest of the accused. The court also cited the lack of evidence while passing the order.

The Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case had alleged that two firms, South Asia FM Limited and Sun Direct TV Private Ltd had received Rs 742.58 crore as proceeds of the crime from Mauritius based firms. The two firms were then allegedly controlled by Kalainithi Maran, the investigation had claimed.

In this case, the ED had also chargesheeted Kalanithi's wife Kavery, Managing Director of South Asia FM Ltd K Shanmugam, SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The case filed by the CBI accused Dayanidhi of pressurising Chennai based telecom promoter C Shivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Maxis group. The accused had however denied these charges in court.

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