New Delhi:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today questioned former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal.
Mr Maran was questioned for more than five hours. His brother Kalanidhi Maran was quizzed by the CBI on Monday.
Meanwhile, PTI says that the Enforcement Directorate has issued notice to Aircel for alleged violation of foreign exchange rules in connection with the 2G scam. (
Read)
Mr Dayanidhi Maran, who is from the DMK, was Telecom Minister from 2004 to 2007. During this time, he allegedly delayed sanctioning licenses to C Sivasankaran, who owned Aircel. Mr Sivasankaran has told the CBI that Mr Maran coerced him to sell his company to Maxis, a Malaysia-based group owned by T Anandakrishnan.
Once the sale was through, Aircel received the licenses that were crucial for its expansion.
The CBI recently said in the Supreme Court that they haven't given Mr Maran a clean chit.
The CBI says that while it has so far not found evidence of coercion, there is proof that "there was an inordinate and deliberate delay in issue of license to Aircel by the DoT (Department of Telecom). There was undue favour shown to Aircel once Maxis bought it."
Mr Anandakrishnan is known to be close to Mr Maran and his brother Kalanidhi who owns Sun Network. After he bought Aircel, the entrepreneur invested close to 800 crores in Sun. The CBI reasserted today that it is examining whether this was a trade-off for the telecom favours bestowed upon Maxis.
Mr Maran resigned in July after the CBI said it had evidence to suggest he had misused his office in the Aircel deal.