FILE photo: Former union minister Dayanidhi Maran (left) and his brother Kalanithi Maran, the founder of Sun TV
Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran will be charge-sheeted by the end of August in the case of a kickback or quid pro quo in the sale of telecom firm Aircel to the Maxis Group in 2006, the CBI told the Supreme Court today.
The CBI said it would go by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi's opinion that there is enough evidence against Mr Maran and his brother Kalanithi, in news that spells trouble for the DMK, a former ally of the Congress-led UPA.
In an FIR or police complaint filed in 2011, the CBI had accused Dayanidhi Maran of misusing his office in 2006 to force the sale of cellphone operator Aircel to Maxis, owned by T Ananda Krishnan. In return, the CBI claims, the Malaysian group invested nearly Rs. 650 crores in the Sun TV Group, owned by Mr Maran's brother, Kalanithi.
C Sivasankaran, who owned Aircel at the time, has said that Mr Maran ensured the telecom firm was not given critical licenses as a pressure tactic by Mr Maran. After he eventually caved in, he claims, Aircel received clearances at lightning speed.
The Attorney General stepped in after sharp differences between the CBI director Ranjit Sinha and the agency's Director of Prosecution led to a delay in a charge-sheet in the case. Mr Sinha had said the evidence against Dayanidhi Maran was insufficient, disagreeing with his officer.
The matter landed on former Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran's table earlier this year. In May, he wrote a letter to the investigating agency saying he would not intervene and "it would be most appropriate that the matter is considered by the new government."
The BJP took power in May after winning the national election, which saw the UPA losing power after two terms. The DMK was a member of the Congress-led alliance till it snapped ties last year citing the government's weak stand on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.