The CBI court in Chennai on Tuesday dismissed the bail pleas by three persons arrested and remanded to judicial custody in the illegal telephone exchange case in which former Telecom Minister Dayanaidhi Maran is the prime accused.
Rejecting their bail pleas, CBI Special Judge J. Krishna Moorthy in his order said, “Taking into consideration the stage of investigation and the nature of allegations levelled against the accused and the difficulties that would have been faced by the investigating agency in completing the probe in these type of matters in an efficient manner, it is concluded that no prima facie is made for granting bail to the accused persons”.
The court had on February 5, 2015 granted permission to the CBI to interrogate the accused — S. Kannan, the Chief technical Assistant of Sun TV; K.S. Ravi, electrician; and V. Gouthaman, then Additional Private Secretary to Mr. Dayanidhi Maran — in jail.
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They are in judicial custody in the central jail at Puzhal near Chennai after their arrest on January 21 in connection with alleged allotment of more than 300 high-speed telephone lines to Mr. Dayanidhi Maran’s Chennai residence which were extended to the TV channel of his brother Kalanithi Maran.
Counsel for the CBI contended that if they were granted bail at this stage, it would hamper the progress of the probe and they would influence the witnesses with the help of their employers.