Decision on booking Maran by Sep 30, CBI tells apex court
New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The CBI Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the preliminary inquiry in respect of former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran in the 2G scam has been completed and a first information report (FIR) would be registered in a few days after a decision is taken by Sep 30.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly that the conclusions drawn on the basis of the initial inquiry were being looked into by its officials.
The decision on the filing of an FIR against Maran will be taken by Sep 30. This will be followed by a charge sheet.
DMK leader Maran was the communications minister from May 23, 2004 to May 15, 2007.
The probe agency's senior counsel K.K. Venugopal told the court that under the CBI manual the findings of the investigating officer, who conducted the preliminary inquiry, were vetted at five different levels before an FIR was filed.
The court was told that conclusions of the preliminary inquiry had already been examined at two levels and these remained to be scrutinised at three more levels.
The CBI also informed the court that its investigation against telecom companies Essar and Loop in the 2G scam had been completed but a decision on the future course of action would be taken in two-three weeks.
It was alleged that Essar was not entitled to get 2G licence and floated a front company, Loop, by disguising its ownership to get the same.
In the case of Maran, it was alleged that he created a situation where C. Sivasankaran - the original owner of telecom company Aircel - was forced to sell-off his entire stake in the company to Malaysia-based Maxis group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.
Sivasankaran sold his stakes in Aircel to Maxis group in March 2006.
Within months of Ananda Krishnan buying Sivasankaran's stakes in Aircel, Sun Direct TV - owned by the Maran family - received substantial investment from Maxis group (Aircel) which took up 20 percent stakes in it.