MHA hints it may review decision on Sun TV Network

Says if a sound legal opinion comes saying that all the alleged offences will not compromise country's economic security, we may go for a review

The Home Ministry today hinted that it may review its decision to withdraw security clearance given to 33 channels of Sun TV Network if a sound legal opinion could satisfy it that the grounds under which the permission was denied were not satisfactory.

Sources said that the security clearance to Sun TV Network was withdrawn due to a probe against promoter Kalanithi Maran and his brother and former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran, who were facing a CBI probe over alleged allotment of 300 high- speed BSNL telephone lines to their installations.

There are two other pending criminal probes against Sun TV Network and Kalanithi Maran - CBI's Aircel-Maxis case and an Enforcement Directorate case of money laundering.

"If a sound legal opinion comes saying that all these alleged offences would not compromise country's economic security, we may go for a review. But someone has to give proper reasons and tell us that the grounds on which the security clearance was withdrawn were not satisfactory," a source said.

The Home Ministry last week had struck down an Information and Broadcasting Ministry's proposal for giving security clearance to the 33 channels, a move that could lead to cancellation of their broadcasting licence.

This prompted Kalanithi Maran to write a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh asking him to intervene on the issue of denial of security clearance to the network saying his company was never involved in any anti-national or criminal activity.

In the letter, Maran said he came to know that the security clearance to his 33 channels was denied on the ground of ongoing proceedings in the case involving Sun Direct TV Private Ltd pending before CBI and ED, which he termed as "untenable" and that his company has been singled out.

"There are several TV and FM radio companies, including some controlled by very large business conglomerates, which among them have pending cases involving 2G spectrum, corporate espionage at the Ministry of Petroleum, corruption involving disproportionate assets and extortions. Security clearances for these media companies have not been revoked," he said in his letter.