2G: CBI questions Dayanidhi Maran

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation during 2001-07, has recorded the statements of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. Abhishek Sharan reports.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation during 2001-07, has recorded the statements of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. He was questioned over allegations related to the Aircel-Maxis Communications deal.

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Dayanidhi was quizzed for around four hours over allegations contained in Aircel’s former owner C Sivasankaran’s written complaint given to the CBI, according to which he had coerced the later to sell off the majority stake in his firm to Maxis Communications, a Malaysian firm, in 2006.

The complaint had also alleged that the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) had delayed approving Aircel’s applications for licences but granted 14 licences to it after it was taken over by the Malaysian firm.

The CBI earlier this week also recorded the statement of Maran’s brother Kalanidhi — who owns television channel Sun TV — and of Maxis’s board of directors’s non-executive member Ralph Marshall. Marshall was quizzed about his alleged links with the Maran brothers.

The CBI has also recorded the statement of Maran’s secretary K Sanjay Murthy.

“Dayanidhi Maran denied allegations that he had delayed approval of Aircel’s applications for telecom licences or that he had coerced the former Aircel owner to sell the firm to Maxis,” said a CBI source. Kalanidhi, said the source, also denied any wrongdoing on his part.