SC asks ED, CBI to file status report in pending Aircel-Maxis deal cases

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report by January 23 in connection with the investigations pending in the cases related to Aircel-Maxis deal.

A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, was hearing the submissions by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy.

Swamy had sought prosecution of many in the Aircel Maxis deal case.

The Aircel-Maxis deal refers to a series of allegations of kickbacks in the telecom sector, which was part of the wider 2G scam that engulfed the UPA regime. In 2011, former Aircel head C. Sivasankaran complained to the CBI that he was being forced by then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to sell Aircel to the Malaysia-based Maxis Communications group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.

In February, the then communication minister, Dayanidhi Maran, and the others accused in the Aircel-Maxis case, were discharged by a special CBI court.

Swamy had alleged that in 2006 a company controlled by Karti received a five percent share of Aircel to get part of Rs. 4,000 crore, paid by Maxis for a 74 per cent stake in Aircel.

According to Swamy, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram withheld the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), clearance till the five percent was paid to Karti.

On September 25, the ED attached assets, bank accounts and fixed deposits worth Rs. 90 lakh of Chidambaram's son Karti, in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case.

Earlier on September 14, Karti Chidambaram denied to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case, stating that a special court had discharged all the accused and terminated the proceedings in the matter.