Subramaniam Swamy writes to Corporate Affairs Ministry to save AskMe

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has sought the intervention of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to prevent the closure of e-commerce firm AskMe and save 4,000 jobs.

In a letter to MCA Secretary Tapan Ray, Swamy asked the government to consider assisting askme.Com to buy out the 98.5 per cent shareholding of Malaysia's Astro Overseas.

"I urge you to intervene and ask the Director of the askme.Com/Getit Infoservices not to proceed with winding up of their company and throw out of work about 4,000 employees," he said.

Instead, the government should consider assisting askme.Com to buy out Malaysia's Astro Overseas' shares.

The Rajya Sabha MP noted that the whole issue should be treated as urgent as it "will become infructuous after August 31".

"As you know Astro Overseas is already under a cloud both in the NDTV scam and more importantly in the Aircel Maxis scam in which I am the party in the Supreme Court that is monitoring the case," he said.

Swamy added that the matter should be treated as "most urgent since it may become a part of court proceedings in the future."

Hit by a cash crunch, eCommerce company AskMe has decided to shut shop, leaving 4,000 staffers jobless. AskMe operates askme.Com (classifieds), askmebazaar(eCommerce), askmegrocery, askmepay, and Mebelkart (online furniture retail).

On the other hand, Astro has said it will appoint a forensic auditor to review the books of the AskMe's parent firm, Getit.

Astro had invested in Getit Infomedia, which was later renamed as Getit Infoservices, in 2010. With total shareholding of 99 per cent, Astro Entertainment Networks Ltd (AENL) has till date invested nearly  $300 million.

AskMe has offered a management buyout option to Astro.