Illegal telephone exchange case: Combative Maran accuses CBI of 'fixing', claims RSS link

Chennai, Jan 21: A day after CBI arrested his close aide and two others in illegal telephone exchange case, former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran on Thursday charged the agency with trying "to fix" him to please an RSS leader from Tamil Nadu.

"CBI should be a fact-finding machine and not a fixing one.... I am being singled out. CBI is fixing me to please an RSS ideologue from Tamil Nadu," a combative Maran told reporters here after briefing DMK chief M Karunanidhi on the developments.

He, however, did not name anyone. Maran, who is facing CBI heat, alleged that the investigating agency was compelling the three arrested persons to complain against him and that they were even tortured to give "false statement".

CBI had yesterday arrested V Gowthaman, then Additional Private Secretary of Dayanidhi Maran, and two others in connection with alleged allotment of more than 300 high-speed telephone lines to the the former Telecom Minister's residence in Chennai which were extended to his brother's TV channel.

CBI had named Maran and BSNL officials, including the then Chief General Manager K Bramhanathan and MP Veluswami in the FIR filed in October 2013.

"...after eight years, they are just fixing this case. They have arrested three people. Irony is they have been ill-treated and were forced to give false statement. When they refused, they were arrested. They were compelled to complain against me. Third degree treatment was meted out to them," Maran alleged.

Asserting that he would fight out the case, Maran hit out at CBI, saying "Is CBI trying to impress the RSS ideologue from Tamil Nadu? The telephone line still functions in my residence.... CBI wants to pass the buck, I have no choice but to fight it out."

"CBI has filed FIR against me alleging when I was the telecom minister and there was excess use of telephone connection. I have explained. This investigation has been going on for eight years", he said.

He said for the last 18 months the arrested people have been called by CBI and they cooperated in all the investigation procedures.

PTI