The Supreme Court on Monday extended the stay on a Madras High Court order cancelling the bail of former Telecom Minister and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran in the alleged telephone exchange case.
A bench of justices T S Thakur and C Nagappan also granted two weeks to Maran to file a rejoinder to CBI’s reply.
The apex court on August 12 had sought CBI’s response on Mr.Maran’s plea challenging the High Court order and questioned its decision to arrest him in a case registered in 2013.
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Mr.Maran had moved the apex court on Sunday challenging the Madras High Court’s decision to cancel his bail and asking him to surrender in a case.
The High Court had on August 10 cancelled Mr.Maran’s interim anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender before CBI in three days, holding that “prima facie” Maran had “misused” his office by obtaining phone connections illegally and the charges against him were backed by material.
It had also rejected Mr.Maran’s contention that CBI was seeking cancellation of his interim bail only to humiliate him.
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CBI has registered an FIR against Mr.Maran and others alleging that over 300 high-speed telephone lines were provided at his residence here and extended to his brother Kalanithi Maran’s SUN TV channel to enable its uplinking when Dayanidhi Maran was Telecom Minister from 2004-07.
Triple Trouble
The Madras High Court has observed that it does not find the CBI's allegations against Maran frivolous and that the charges are corroborated by material on record and circumstances.
What exactly is the case about ?
The case by the CBI
- Case: CBI says between June 2004 and June 2007, officials provided ISDN, broadband connections and leased line circuits at Maran's residence under 'service category'
- Illegal Lines: No provision in rules for minister to get facilities without DoT’s approval
- Free Lines: Maran got 364 actual phone numbers with high-end connections at his Gopalapuram residence, no bills were raised and no payments were made
- SIM Cards: He also had 19 prepaid mobile SIM cards without entitlement, these cards were used by Sun TV staff without payment
- New Address: In December 2006, Maran shifted to Boat Club Road residence. Another 353 connections were given to new residence
- Leased Lines: He also got 13 connections from MTNL for his Delhi residence, including ISDN connections, 8+8mbps leased line circuit also
- All for Sun: All the exchanges were configured with the main exchange at then Sun TV head office in Anna Arivalayam in Chennai
- Huge Loss: Probe revealed estimated loss amounting to Rs. 1.78 crores to exchequer
- Complicity: Chief general managers of Chennai Telephones K Brahmadathan (2004-2006), M.P. Velusamy(2006-2007) booked as co-accused.
Dayanidhi Maran's argument
- » ISDN PRA connection is just one, and not over 300 as claimed. Anyone can get this facility on payment of RS. 1,750, and only one bill is generated
- » As Cabinet minister, he was entitled to 1,50,000 free calls and even assuming 300 connections were used, it was within his eligibility
- » Allegation that Sun TV used these connections for data transfer is baseless
- » Charge that he did not cooperate with CBI investigation is false. Charge that he was evasive and non-cooperative only meant that the CBI was expecting a confession
Two other cases against Maran
- In August 2014, CBI files chargesheet alleging that Dayanidhi plotted with T. Ananada Krishnan, owner of Malaysian company Maxis, and forced Sivasankaran of Aircel to sell his shares to Mr. Krishnan
- Based on the CBI’s case findings in the Aircel-Maxis probe, the Enforcement Directorate opens investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. On April 2, 2015, the Directorate attaches Rs. 742.58 crore worth assets.