Aircel-Maxis scam: CBI files chargesheet against the Marans
31 Aug 2014 5:02 AM IST
Besides the Maran brothers, those who were named in the chargesheet are Malaysian business tycoon and owner of Maxis Group T Ananda Krishnan, Augustus Ralph Marshall (director of Maxis), top executives of Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd (owned by Kalanidhi who is the managing director of the group), ASTRO All Asia Networks, South Asia Entertainment Holdings Limited in Mauritius and Maxis Communication Berhad.
All of them were charged with punishable offence under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. ‘We have filed the charge-sheet before Special CBI Judge O P Saini at Patiala House Court and the matter will be heard for further consideration on 11 September,’ CBI spokesperson said.
Former telecom secretary JS Sharma, who is dead, has also been named in the charge-sheet. ‘But we have informed the Court that the trial against the accused cannot be proceeded since he is no more,’ CBI spokesperson said. The probe agency has told the Supreme Court that Maran had allegedly forced a Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell stake in Aircel to Malaysian firm Maxis Group owned by Ananda Krishnan in 2006.
The chargesheet was filed a day after the Supreme Court on Thursday turned down the plea of Dayanidhi Maran seeking to restrain CBI from filing the chargesheet, saying investigation in the case is still on. Earlier, the CBI had registered the case on 9 October, 2011 after the conclusion of a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) which was registered on the directions of the SC.
During the course of investigation in 2G Spectrum case, the Supreme Court (vide order dated 16/12/2010) had ordered the agency to investigate the irregularities committed in the grant of licenses from 2001 to 2007 with particular emphasis on the loss caused to the public exchequer and profits to the licensees or the service providers.
Then, a PE was registered on 4 January, 2011 and further investigation revealed that the then ministry of communication and information technology (MoC & IT) had allegedly abused the official position and constricted the business environment of the Chennai-based private firm on frivolous grounds with an intent to force its exit from telecom business and its sale to Malaysia based company.
After the change of ownership, the requests pending since long before the Department of Telecommunications were acceded to and an undue favour was given to these companies for which alleged illegal gratification of Rs. 549 crore (approx.) was paid by a U.K. based company to Chennai based TV Company in the garb of purchase of its shares at a premium of Rs. 69.57 per share through its subsidiary of Mauritius based company with a total investment of Rs. 629 crores approx.
‘Not the least an illegal gratification of Rs. 193 crore (approx.) was also paid by U.K. based company to a company of Chennai through its subsidiaries of Mauritius based monitoring company and other software company of Mauritius. The aspect of the irregularity in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to Mauritius based company and the role of the Indian Partner Company of Chennai, in holding 26 % equity of Chennai based company is being further investigated,’ a CBI statement reads.
All of them were charged with punishable offence under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. ‘We have filed the charge-sheet before Special CBI Judge O P Saini at Patiala House Court and the matter will be heard for further consideration on 11 September,’ CBI spokesperson said.
Former telecom secretary JS Sharma, who is dead, has also been named in the charge-sheet. ‘But we have informed the Court that the trial against the accused cannot be proceeded since he is no more,’ CBI spokesperson said. The probe agency has told the Supreme Court that Maran had allegedly forced a Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell stake in Aircel to Malaysian firm Maxis Group owned by Ananda Krishnan in 2006.
The chargesheet was filed a day after the Supreme Court on Thursday turned down the plea of Dayanidhi Maran seeking to restrain CBI from filing the chargesheet, saying investigation in the case is still on. Earlier, the CBI had registered the case on 9 October, 2011 after the conclusion of a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) which was registered on the directions of the SC.
During the course of investigation in 2G Spectrum case, the Supreme Court (vide order dated 16/12/2010) had ordered the agency to investigate the irregularities committed in the grant of licenses from 2001 to 2007 with particular emphasis on the loss caused to the public exchequer and profits to the licensees or the service providers.
Then, a PE was registered on 4 January, 2011 and further investigation revealed that the then ministry of communication and information technology (MoC & IT) had allegedly abused the official position and constricted the business environment of the Chennai-based private firm on frivolous grounds with an intent to force its exit from telecom business and its sale to Malaysia based company.
After the change of ownership, the requests pending since long before the Department of Telecommunications were acceded to and an undue favour was given to these companies for which alleged illegal gratification of Rs. 549 crore (approx.) was paid by a U.K. based company to Chennai based TV Company in the garb of purchase of its shares at a premium of Rs. 69.57 per share through its subsidiary of Mauritius based company with a total investment of Rs. 629 crores approx.
‘Not the least an illegal gratification of Rs. 193 crore (approx.) was also paid by U.K. based company to a company of Chennai through its subsidiaries of Mauritius based monitoring company and other software company of Mauritius. The aspect of the irregularity in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to Mauritius based company and the role of the Indian Partner Company of Chennai, in holding 26 % equity of Chennai based company is being further investigated,’ a CBI statement reads.
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