The CBI questioned the former Union Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran on Wednesday in connection with the alleged installation of an illegal telephone exchange at his Chennai residence in 2007.
“He appeared before the investigating team at 11 a.m. and his questioning continued till 6.30 p.m.,” said an official adding that the agency had summoned Mr. Maran on Thursday too.
While the former Telecom Minister was earlier examined twice — in January and October last year — his brother Kalanithi Maran was questioned last September. In January, the CBI arrested three persons in the case, including a close aide of Mr. Dayanidhi Maran.
Apprehending arrest, Mr. Maran on Tuesday obtained anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court and surrendered before a CBI court there.
He then appeared before a special task force at the agency’s Delhi headquarters for questioning.
In 2011, the agency initiated investigations into the allegations that during his tenure as Telecom Minister, he had got the exchange with high-speed Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) BSNL lines installed at his Chennai residence.
It was alleged that the exchange was used by Sun TV to uplink programmes. “Investigations have revealed that 770 phone connections were installed and illegally used, which led to the loss of Rs.1.8 crore,” said the official.
The Union Home Ministry cited the case as one of the grounds for denying security clearance to the Sun TV network, stating that it posed a threat to national security.
