Maran brothers to face trial again

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Wednesday set aside a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court’s March 14 verdict discharging former Union minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Dayanidhi Maran, his brother, Kalanithi, and five others in an illegal telephone exchange case.

According to the prosecution, Dayanidhi Maran had misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residences in Chennai during his tenure as Union minister under Congress-led United Progressive Alliance rule between 2004 and 2007. The exchange was allegedly used to promote business activities of his family-owned Sun TV.

In March, a CBI court acquitted all seven accused in the case, including Dayanidhi and Kalanithi Maran, on grounds that there was no prima facie evidence to prove the charges against them. “Considering the police report and the documents, the only opinion any judicial mind could form is that, there are grounds to presume all the seven accused have committed an offence and not otherwise,” justice G Jayachandran said.

He allowed the CBI’S appeal and directed the agency to frame charges and complete the trial in a year.

“Statements recorded under subsection (3) of section 161 of the criminal procedure code and other documents make out a prima facie case that Dayanidhi Maran, while functioning as... Union minister of communication and information technology from May 2004 to May 2007, entered into criminal conspiracy with KB Brahmadathan and MP Velusamy (then BSNL chief general managers in Chennai).”

Maran allegedly got 764 telephone connections at his Chennai and Delhi residences under service category without being entitled to it, according to CBI charges.