Aircel-Maxis case: CBI chargesheets Maran brothers, Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan

New Delhi: Former Telecom Minister DayanidhiMaran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and six others, including four companies, were today chargesheeted by the CBI in aspecial court in the Aircel-Maxis deal case arising out of theinvestigation in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Besides the Maran brothers, the CBI has named Malaysianbusiness tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Ralph Marshall, a topexecutive and four companies, including Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltdand Malaysia’s Maxis Communication Berhad, as accused in thecase.

They have been chargesheeted for the offences punishableunder section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The charge sheet was filed before Special CBI Judge OP Saini who fixed it for consideration on 11 September.

Former Telecom Secretary JS Sharma, who has died, has also been named in the charge sheet. However, his name has been put in a column of the accused against whom trial cannot proceed.

South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd, Mauritius, and ASTRO All Asia Network plc have also been named as accused in the charge sheet.

It was filed a day after the Supreme Court turned down the plea of Dayanidhi Maran seeking to restrain CBI from filing the charge sheet, saying that investigation in the case is still going on.

CBI, in the Supreme Court, had alleged that Maran had “forced” Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell the stake in Aircel to Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006 owned by Ananda Krishnan.

PTI