CBI files plea against Maran brothers discharge in Aircel-Maxis case

The Enforcement Directorate had also filed a plea challenging the discharge of Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanithi Maran in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday filed a petition against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran's discharge in a money laundering case. The CBI petitioned the Delhi high court challenging a special court's order discharging the Maran brothers and others in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.

The Delhi High court has sought a reply from Dayanidhi and Kalanithi Maran to the CBI's petition. The Enforcement directorate too had filed a petition challenging the Maran brothers' discharge in the case last week. In February earlier this year, the Patiala house court had discharged the former telecom minister and his brother in the Aircel-Maxis case along with other accused.

The Patiala house court had said that the charges were based on the misreading of official files, speculation and surmises of the complainant. Special CBI Judge O P Saini, while discharging them, had also said that no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused was made out on the basis of the materials placed on record before it.

The case filed by the CBI accused Dayanidhi of pressurising a 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. In the charge sheet the CBI had apart from the Maran brothers named Ralph Marshall, T Ananda Krishnan, M/s Sun Direct TV (P) Ltd, M/s Astro All Asia Networks Plc, UK, M/s Maxis Communications Berhad, Malaysia, M/s South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd, Malaysia and then additional secretary (telecom) late J S Sarma.

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