File photo: Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran (left) and his brother Kalanithi Maran
One of the four companies chargesheeted by the CBI in the telecom scam, Astro All Asia Networks Limited, says it has not been "formally notified nor served with any chargesheet" and denies the allegations "as totally unfounded and baseless." (
Read statement here)
Last week, the CBI presented a chargesheet in a Delhi court against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran and others in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The CBI alleges that in 2006, Mr Maran misused his office as telecom minister to coerce the then owner of Aircel, C Sivasankaran, to sell his telecom to Malaysia's Maxis Group, owned by T Ananda Krishnan. In return, Mr Ananda Krishnan allegedly invested nearly Rs 650 crores in Sun Direct TV, which is owned by the former minister's brother, Kalanidhi.
The CBI says that Astro, based in Malaysia, routed that kickback as an investment in Mr Maran's television company.
In its statement today, Astro said that it is a separate company from the Maxis Group, which bought Aircel and "there is no cross-holding between the two firms.
The company's emailed statement said, "The CBI has proceeded to file charge sheets even though the CBI has expressly acknowledged that investigations are still incomplete and pending in Malaysia and that any chargesheet will be bereft of any evidence from Malaysia. AAANL is taking legal advice on this development and will defend any charges that may be leveled against it, its directors and its subsidiaries to the fullest extent possible."