A special court trying the 2G spectrum case on Wednesday issued summons to former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and six others in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The accused have been summoned on March 2, 2015 to enable the CBI to serve the summons as five of them live overseas.
“I have carefully gone through the copy of the FIR, charge sheet, statement of witnesses and related documents comprised in the voluminous record of the case. On perusal of the record, I am satisfied that there is enough incriminating material on record to proceed against the accused. Accordingly, I take cognisance of the case,” Mr. Saini said in his two-page order.
The court had on October 13 reserved an order on taking cognisance of the charge sheet after hearing the prosecution. The CBI counsel had argued that prima facie a case was made out against all the accused.
Former Minister accused of coercing Aircel owner
A special court trying the 2G spectrum case on Wednesday issued summons to former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and six others in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The CBI had in August charge sheeted them, alleging that the former Minister had entered into a criminal conspiracy with T. Ananda Krishnan, owner of Malaysian company Maxis, and coerced Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, to sell his shares to the former allegedly in lieu of investments by the foreign company through another company into Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Dayanidhi Maran is one of the promoters of Sun Direct.
The other accused in the case include Mr. Krishnan, senior executive with the Maxis Group, Ralph Marshall, and four companies, including Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. The CBI had in 2011 registered an FIR in the matter stating that Mr. Sivasankaran, who had sought spectrum licence, was allegedly forced to sell his company to Maxis.
