Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran had put undue pressure and forced Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006, the CBI today told a special court.
"Accused number one (Dayanidhi Maran) forced Sivasankaran to sell his companies. He (Sivasankaran) sold his three firms to Malaysia's Maxis Communication Berhad, accused number six," the CBI told Special Judge O P Saini during arguments on consideration of charge sheet filed in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
The CBI had on August 29 filed the charge sheet in the case against Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and six others, including four firms.
It said that as soon as Maxis Group bought Sivasankaran's firms, all the pending issues were cleared by Dayanidhi Maran giving undue benefit to the Malaysian company.
"If accused number one (Dayanidhi) had cleared all the issues and had given licences and spectrum to Sivasankaran's firms, then Maxis Group would have had to pay much more to buy the companies," it claimed.
According to the CBI, the Malaysian firm was favoured by Maran and granted licence within six months after the take over of Aircel in December 2006.
Maran, who has been examined by the CBI, has denied all the allegations leveled against him and his family members.
Besides the Maran brothers, the CBI has named Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four firms--Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, Astro All Asia Network PLC and South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd--as accused in the case.
"Accused number one (Dayanidhi Maran) forced Sivasankaran to sell his companies. He (Sivasankaran) sold his three firms to Malaysia's Maxis Communication Berhad, accused number six," the CBI told Special Judge O P Saini during arguments on consideration of charge sheet filed in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
The CBI had on August 29 filed the charge sheet in the case against Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and six others, including four firms.
It said that as soon as Maxis Group bought Sivasankaran's firms, all the pending issues were cleared by Dayanidhi Maran giving undue benefit to the Malaysian company.
"If accused number one (Dayanidhi) had cleared all the issues and had given licences and spectrum to Sivasankaran's firms, then Maxis Group would have had to pay much more to buy the companies," it claimed.
According to the CBI, the Malaysian firm was favoured by Maran and granted licence within six months after the take over of Aircel in December 2006.
Maran, who has been examined by the CBI, has denied all the allegations leveled against him and his family members.
Besides the Maran brothers, the CBI has named Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four firms--Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, Astro All Asia Network PLC and South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd--as accused in the case.
