CBI court adjourns hearing in illegal telephone case to Feb 5

A special court today adjourned hearing of the "illegal" telephone exchange case against former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran to February 5.
Arguing on discharge pleas filed by the brothers, their counsel Kabil Sibal contended that the case was foisted on them.
The counsel submitted that the Central Bureau of Investigation had no basic technical understanding with regard to the telephone connections.
Sibal argued that there was not even a "whisper" about the involvement of Kalanithi Maran in the entire 3,000 page charge sheet and no witness even spoke about his involvement in the case.
"Except he was the MD of Sun Group, Kalanithi Maran has nothing in it," Sibal and another counsel ARL Sundarresan submitted before the CBI Court today.

"The allegation that there were 700 telephone lines was wrong. As then telecom minister only 10 lines were provided to Dayanidhi Maran's residence, originally at Gopalapuram, later in the Boat Club area."

"The CBI had failed to understand the latest technology. If they have understood, they would not have pursued this case," they said.
Recording the submissions, special CBI court judge S Natarajan posted further hearing to February 5.
According to the CBI, Dayanidhi Maran, during the check period of June 2004 to December 2006, when he was the Union minister for communication and information technology, misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residences in Chennai and utilised the facility for business transactions involving Sun Network.

It said he had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer.
More than 700 telecom lines were installed at their residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram here, the agency charged.
Among the accused were former BSNL general manager K Brahmnathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman, and Sun TV officials.
Besides the Maran brothers, Sibal and A R L Sundresan also represented the other accused in the case.