No estimate of total losses from 350 BSNL lines at Maran home

After nearly three years of probe, CBI has not been able to calculate the total loss incurred to the exchequer by over 350 high speed broadband lines allegedly set up by BSNL officials at the residence of former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran to allegedly benefit Sun TV network owned by his brother Kalanithi.
Nearly Rs 1.2 crore was the installation fee which was the alleged loss to the exchequer because it was never paid, a senior official said adding that there was no estimate of recurring and call charges for the three years period 2004-07 during which the alleged exchanged operated, sources said.

They said CBI is likely to carry out searches at various locations in connection with alleged telephone exchange of high-speed data line set up at the residence of Dayanidhi Maran.
The sources said the agency will carry out searches to collect evidence based on the interrogation of Sun TV Chief Technical Officer and Additional Private Secretary of Maran who were arrested last evening by CBI.
Although the agency has carried out a brief questioning of the three, it will do a detailed custodial interrogation of those arrested to collect evidence and corroborate their claims, they said.
V Gowthaman, former Additional Private Secretary of Maran, Chief Technical Officer of Sun TV S Kannan and electrcian L S Ravi also of the television network are alleged to have been directly involved in the setting up of the exchange to benefit the channel owned by Kalanithi, CBI sources said.