Dayanidhi denies CBI's claim of pressurising telecom promoter

CBI had claimed that Dayanidhi had pressurised Aircel chief C Sivasanka to sell his stakes to Maxis Group

Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran on Thursday, while appearing before a special court, refuted CBI's claim that he pressurised a Chennai-based telecom promoter to sell his stakes in Aircel to a Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006.

While arguing on framing of charges against him in the Aircel-Maxis case, the former union minister claimed that during the time period of the alleged crime, the Chennai-based businessman, C Sivasankaran, was in talks with several other companies to sell his stakes in Aircel.

"There is no reason why I would try to facilitate a business transaction, which may even attract criminal charge, which was not even embryonic at that time," said the ex-ministers'counsel, who was arguing his case before  Special Judge O P Saini.

 

Pointing to the impossibility of supposed deal, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Dayanidhi, argued that it was not possible for the accused to facilitate a "non-existent" deal, for which Aircel had already initiated talks in 2004. 

"Aircel tried to do business with several other companies and it was only in October 2005, the business transaction between Aircel and Maxis was finalised," the counsel said.

CBI has claimed that Dayanidhi pressurised Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two other subsidiary firms to Maxis Group.

The agency had also claimed that the politician had forced Sivasankaran to sell his three companies to Malaysia's Maxis Communication Berhad, also an accused in the case.

The arguments on the point of framing charges remained inconclusive.

The court had earlier held it had the jurisdiction to try the matter against Dayanidhi Maran, Kalanithi Maran and others as the Aircel- Maxis deal "fairly and squarely falls within the description of 2G scam".