Aircel-Maxis Case: CBI files charge sheet against Maran brothers

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed separate charge sheets against the Maran brothers - Dayanadhi and Kalanidhi - on Friday in connection with their respective roles in the Aircel-Maxis 2G spectrum case.

The premier investigative agency filed the charge sheets against the former union telecom minister and his businessman brother a day after the Supreme Court (SC) gave it permission to do so by refusing to entertain his plea for a direction to the agency to defer such action on the ground that the investigation in Malaysia is not yet over.

The CBI had told the court on August 14 that it would file a charge sheet in the last week of August. Maran's lawyer Aryama Sundaram argued that according to the law, the "investigative agency could not file an incomplete charge sheet".

However, the court refused to entertain the plea, saying choosing the time for filing a charge sheet was the CBI's sole prerogative. Maran withdrew the petition after the court gave him the liberty to approach it again if the CBI files an incomplete or defective charge sheet.

The DMK leader is accused of allegedly forcing Aircel owner C Sivasankaran to sell his firm to Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, the owner of the Maxis Group in return for huge investment in 2006 in Sun TV, which is owned by the Maran family. Maran is accused of not clearing spectrum licenses till after Maxis routed crores to the Maran's family-owned Sun Direct.

Sundaram had argued that the CBI's decision to go ahead with the filing of a charge sheet would place a stigma on his clients.

A three-judge apex court bench headed by Justice H L Dattu said Thursday, "We understand the repercussion. We may look into it if you say that the charge sheet filed is defective. Till such time, don't ask us to restrain the CBI from filing charge sheet. It is not permissible in law.