Prosecution withdraws plea against Marans

Special Public Prosecutor Anand Grover on Wednesday withdrew his plea before the Supreme Court that the assets of the Maran brothers should not be released after their discharge in the Aircel-Maxis case.

Dayanidhi and Kalanithi Maran were discharged by the Special CBI Court on February 2.

Allowing withdrawal of the plea as Grover sought direction whether he could approach Delhi High Court, the bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and others said: "Do your job. Go wherever you have to go. Do we tell you where to go."

Grover is leading the prosecution by the CBI and Directorate of Enforcement before the Special CBI Court trying the 2G cases.

Grover had moved the top court on February 3 urging the court to stop the release of the Marans' assets which were attached by the ED in the alleged money laundering case in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The assets which were attached by the ED were ordered to be released by the trial court on February 2 after it dropped charges against the Marans and others in the alleged kickback of Rs 742 crore in the deal.

The court in its order then said that the "perception of suspicion was not backed by concrete evidence".

--IANS

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