The Central Bureau of Investigation submitted before a court here on Thursday that the former Telecommunications Minister Dayanidhi Maran had coerced C. Sivasankaran, promoter of Aircel, to sell his stake in the company to the Maxis Group of Malaysia and thus made illegal gains.
The CBI counsel made this submission before Special Judge O.P. Saini, trying the 2G spectrum case, while requesting the court to take cognisance of the charge sheet against Mr. Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and two others.
The agency filed the charge sheet on August 29 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Maxis Group promoter Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan and Augustus Ralph Marshall, both Malaysian nationals, are the other accused.
Costly delay Counsel said the then Minister kept pending several requests by Mr. Sivasankaran on the rollout of mobile services and thus prevented him from doing business. The delay made him lose money.
The argument will continue on September 22.
Sun Direct TV, promoted by the Marans; Maxis Communication Berhad; Astro All Asia Network PLC; and South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd., the holding company of Sun Direct TV, are accused companies.
In March 2006, the Maxis Group bought a 74 per cent stake in Aircel. The charge sheet said Mr. Maran made an illegal gain of Rs. 742 crore in the garb of investments in Sun Direct TV by the Maxis Group.
