NEW DELHI: The special 2G court on Wednesday summoned former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and six others, including Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan as accused in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini took cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet filed against eight accused, including four companies, and summoned them on March 2, 2015.
“I have carefully gone through the copies of the FIR, chargesheet, witnesses’ statement and other related documents in the case. On their perusal, I am satisfied that there is enough incriminating material on record to proceed against the accused. Accordingly, I take cognisance of the case and issue summons to them for March 2, 2015,” the Special Judge said.
“In view of the nature of the case, the prosecution is directed to take up the service of process on the accused person in right earnest and to endeavour to ensure that the court process qua each accused is returned to the court at least a week before the date fixed,” he added.
Besides the Maran brothers, the CBI had named 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.
The CBI had chargesheeted them for the offences punishable under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The investigating agency alleged in the court that Dayanidhi had 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 court in its two-page order allowed the contention of senior public prosecutor K K Goel that at least four months time may be granted for effecting service of summonses on the accused as five of the eight are residing in different countries such as Malaysia, Mauritius and the United Kingdom while the remaining three are based in Chennai.
Earlier, the court had on October 13 reserved its order on the issue of taking cognisance on CBI’s chargesheet filed against Maran brothers and six others.