Delhi HC seeks Maran brothers' reply on ED's plea

The Delhi High Court sought a response from former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) plea against their discharge in the Aircel- Maxis case.

ED had, on May 2, moved the High Court challenging a special court's February 2 order discharging the Maran brothers and others in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case.

The special court had said that the charges were based on "misreading of official files", speculation and surmises of the complainant. Special CBI Judge O P Saini, while discharging them, had also said that no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused was made out on the basis of the materials placed on record before it.

In the money laundering case, ED had chargesheeted the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery, Managing Director of South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) K Shanmugam, SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The special court, in two separate orders, had said that the case was based on the foundation that Dayanidhi and Sarma deliberately delayed the approval relating to several issues, including the issuance of UAS licences to Aircel, to force Chennai-based promoter C Sivasankaran to exit from the telecom sector.