Reiterating that custodial interrogation of the former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran was required in the alleged telephone exchange case, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that he had not obtained prior approval of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the phone lines.
In response to a plea for protection against arrest filed by Mr. Maran, represented by advocate Sumesh Dhawan, the CBI filed an additional affidavit countering his averment made on the basis of an RTI reply from DoT on entitlement to phone connections.
“The instant case pertains to illegally installing telephone exchange under service category and using it for family-run TV channel business and not for using service lines/connections for official duties as Union Telecom Minister,” said the CBI in the affidavit.
According to the agency, the information furnished by Mr. Maran, relying upon the RTI reply that phone lines are provided to the Ministry of Communications and IT and the Minister of State (MoS) as per the demand raised by them, was not relevant to the case.
“As these guidelines were framed in 2013, whereas the instant case pertains to the period 2004 to 2007. During the said period there were no separate guidelines for the Ministers and they were also governed by the Housing and Telephone (Members of Parliament) Rule,” the CBI said.
The agency said that service category connections were available to all the department employees and the MoS-IT, but with the proper DoT approval. “In the instant case, neither the BSNL, nor the petitioner himself sought or obtained approval from the DoT, which clearly proves the illegality and criminality of the petitioner.”
The CBI case pertains to alleged installation of over 750 phone-line exchange under service category without any payments. The agency alleges that no bills were raised for the usage of 764 phone numbers, including ISDN connections/leased line circuits.
The agency submitted that DoT replies to the petitioner relating to connections provided to different Union Ministers prior to the petitioner did not include any particular information on the number of connections provided to each Ministers under service category. However, the CBI said, investigations revealed that all the previous Union Ministers were provided with a few telephone connections under service category with the DoT approval. “ … Sun TV placed an order worth Rs.50 lakh for the purchase of a number of high-end EPABX, which were installed at the residences of Dayanidhi Maran,” said the affidavit.
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