2G scam: Dayanidhi Maran comes under SC scanner

Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran has come under the Supreme Court's scanner in the 2G Spectrum allocation scam with the CBI raking up his role in "forcing" a Chennai-based telecom promoter to sell his stakes in Aircel to a Malaysian firm in 2006.

The agency, which placed its 71-page fresh status report about the 2G scam, said that during 2004-07 when Maran was telecom Minister, the promoter C Sivasankaran, was forced to sell the stake in Aircel to a Malaysian firm Maxis Group.

Senior Advocate K K Venugopal, who read the status report before a bench of justice G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly, did not take  Maran's name but stated that the Chennai business man was not granted UAS licence for two years.

It said that the Malaysian firm was favoured by  Maran and was granted licence within six months after taking over the Aircel in December 2006. Maran was the Telecom Minister between February 2004 and May, 2007.

"The gentleman (promoter of Aircel) had been knocking at various doors but was left with no choice but to sell his shares to a Malaysian form," said  Venugopal, representing CBI, while reading out from the status report that was filed in a sealed cover.

Earlier, an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, had placed documents before the apex court showing the alleged role of Maran in favouring Maxis group of Malaysia which had bought Chennai-based telecom company, Aircel, owned by Siva Group, when he was Telecom Minister from 2004 to 2007.