New Delhi, Sep 6 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the role of the then communications minister Dayanidhi Maran in the 2G scam was “less than honest”, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation told the Supreme Court Tuesday.
The CPIL, in an affidavit filed before the apex court, said that “till date the CBI have not even registered a first information report (FIR) and have not questioned Mr. Maran”.
“The petitioners (CPIL and others) are constrained to submit that the CBI investigation in this case has been less than honest,” it said.
The affidavit was in response to the CBI’s submission last week before Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly that there was no evidence of Maran allegedly forcing C. Sivasakaran to sell his stakes in telecom company Aircel to Malasiya-based Maxis group.
Maran was communications minister from May 23, 2004, to May 15, 2007.
“As per the understanding of the petitioners and as per news reports, the CBI has apparently stated that ‘coercion’ of Aircel’s earlier owner Mr. Sivasankaran could not be established and the allegation of quid pro quo are still being investigated.”
Seeking permission to file 12 documents in support of its contention, the CPIL traced the sequence of events that led to the sale of Sivasankaran’s stake in Aircel to Maxi group in March 2006.
The affidavit said that “within months of this, Maran’s family owned business (Sun TV) received substantial investment from Maxi group (Aircel) by taking 20 percent stake in Sun Direct which had not much business at that time”.
In addition to above investments in Sun Direct, a Maxi Group Company (Astro through its wholly-owned company South Asia Multimedia Technologies Ltd.) also made investment of Rs.112.28 crore in South Asia FM Ltd. (SAFL), an FM radio company owned by Maran Group which had licences to own and operate 23 FM radio stations in India.
