Dayanidhi Maran

A special 2G court today issued open warrants of arrest against Malaysian nationals T Ananda Krishnan and Augustus Ralph Marshall, who are accused in Aircel-Maxis deal case along with former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi.

Special Public Prosecutor Anand Grover, appearing for the CBI, submitted that since the apex court was monitoring the issue, the accused cannot file such an appeal before two platforms.

Special Judge O P Saini made the observations as he noted that the oral submissions made by CBI counsel regarding the procedure for issuance of Red Corner Notice (RCN) by the Interpol, were not mentioned in its written application filed before the court earlier.

Special Judge O P Saini also deferred pronouncement of the order on the bail pleas of Marans and others in two separate cases filed by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the next date of hearing on September 17.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal expressed this view while reserving its order on a PIL for directions to CBI to move the trial court for "attachment and forfeiture of shares and all the assets of Aircel Ltd", as held by Maxis and its subsidiaries.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was today moved in Delhi High Court for directions to CBI to make several subsidiary companies of Maxis Communications as accused in the Aircel- Maxis case involving former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.

Principal Sessions Court Judge N Audinathan took about a minute to record the appearance of 92-year-old Karunanidhi, a former chief minister, who came along with his lawyers and adjourned to March 10 hearing in the defamation case.

A special 2G court will tomorrow consider ED's charge sheet filed against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and four others in the Aircel-Maxis deal related money laundering case.

ED, in its charge sheet filed before Special Judge O P Saini, named as accused the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Maran and three others, including two companies.

A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur, while extending the interim relief of protection against arrest to Maran, asked him to cooperate and answer the questions posed by CBI.

The CBI, in its charge sheet filed last year, had said it will investigate the circumstances under which the FIPB approval given in 2006 by the then Finance Minister in the Aircel-Maxis deal in which ex-Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanidhi Maran have been chargesheeted.

A similar order has also been issued for approaching division bench of the Madras High Court to challenge a single bench order on July 23 allowing the Sun Group companies to participate in the auction.

Maran moved the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order that cancelled his anticipatory bail, giving three days time to the DMK leader to surrender before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI has accused Maran of providing more than 300 high-speed telephone lines go his brother Kalanithi Maran's Sun TV. CBI also claimed that Maran wasn't cooperating in the investigation.

The Centre told Delhi High Court that the plea of Red FM, an associate company of Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun TV Group, for security clearance to participate in the stage III of FM auctions is not maintainable as it is seeking judicial review of a policy decision.

The government has told the Delhi High Court that the security clearance to Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun Group companies was denied keeping in mind "national security" concerns.

The Ministry had disallowed the group from taking part in the auction process on the basis of absence of clearance from the Union Home Ministry.

As it mulls its course of action, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry sought further details from the Home Ministry on the reasons for denial of security clearance to Sun TV Network channels so that it can justify its action if the matter reaches court.

Former Indian Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran was "evasive" during his questioning by CBI in a case of alleged abuse of his office in getting installed high capacity BSNL lines at his residences to facilitate speedy transmission of programmes to a TV firm owned by his brother and could be called again.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking reasons behind the denial of security clearance to 33 channels of Kalanithi Maran-promoted Sun TV Network, so that it can take further action.