ORDER DISCHARGING MARANS SET ASIDE
Chennai, July 25: The Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside a CBI court order discharging former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran and others in the case of alleged setting up of “illegal” telephone exchanges to benefit the Sun TV Network of his brother Kalanithi Maran.
Allowing the CBI’s appeal against their discharge, Justice G. Jaichandran directed the special court to frame charges and conclude the trial within a year from the date of receipt of the copy of the HC order.
The case relates to the time when Dayanidhi, a grandnephew of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, was the minister for communications and information technology in the UPA 1 government.
In a major setback to former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran of Sun TV, the Madras High Court set aside the order of the special court for CBI cases discharging them from an illegal telephone exchange case.
The court directed the authorities to frame charges against them and complete the trial within 12 months. Four months after they were discharged from the case, the court set aside CBI court order on Wednesday.
Justice G. Jayachandran said “This court is fully satisfied that heaps and heaps of materials are available to frame charges against all the accused. None of the reasons given by the trial court to discharge them is sustained in law.
“The trial court had totally forgotten the fact that he should only weigh the probability of the case for framing charges.”
He said the order of the trial court indicates that the parameters laid down by the apex court had been violated.
Stating that the order of trial court is perverse and to be set right for multiple reasons Justice Jayachandran said: “The statements and documents are sufficient to frame charges against the accused persons.”