Ex-Aircel owner speaks to CBI against Maran

New Delhi: The CBI is now actively pursuing complaints of a telecom scam allegedly engineered by Dayanidhi Maran while he was the Communications and Technology Minister.

The former owner of Aircel has told the CBI today that he was pressured by Mr Maran's ministry to sell the telecom company in 2006 to an industrialist from Malyasia. "I felt strangulated," he said during a lengthy interrogation by the investigating agency. At a press conference in Chennai, Mr Maran countered, "If anyone was being forced (to sell), they could have gone to court." (Watch)

Mr Sivasankaran claims that harassment by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which repeatedly rejected his applications for mobile network licenses, forced him to sell his company to T Anandakrishnan. Mr Sivasankaran's successor is reportedly close to Mr Maran and his brother, Kalanidhi, who owns Sun TV.

After Mr Anandakrishnan acquired Aircel, he was granted 14 licences and within months of that, Mr Anandakrishnan's company invested nearly Rs 800 crore in Sun TV. The CBI is investigating whether that was a quid pro quo.  

Mr Maran has said that he did not use his position as Telecom Minister to harass Mr Sivasankaran, or to later benefit Sun TV. He has also clarified that he does not own any shares in Sun TV.

Mr Maran's party, the DMK, has been linked in multiple ways with different telecom scams. A Raja, a senior leader who took over from Mr Maran as Telecom Minister is in jail for the 2G scam; so is Kanimozhi, whose father M Karunanidhi heads the DMK.

PM evasive on Maran's fate

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was evasive on the future of Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran in the Cabinet in the wake of allegations that he could have indirectly benefitted by pay-offs in a telecom deal.

"All these matters are being looked into by law enforcement agencies. They should be allowed to do their work without fear or favour," Singh told reporters.

He was responding when asked whether he has sought resignation of Maran following the allegation of corruption against him.

Earlier in the day, Maran came out with a statement, second within a week, rejecting allegations that he had arm twisted former Aircel Chief C Sivasankaran to sell his stake to Maxis.

His statement came as CBI recorded Sivasankaran's statement at an undisclosed location.

(With PTI inputs)