CBI seeks Maran custody

The CBI on Thursday reiterated in the Supreme Court its plea to arrest former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran for custodial interrogation in the “764 lines illegal telephone exchange” case. In a fresh affidavit, the CBI said: “The custodial examination of Mr Maran is required to ascertain the actual usage of these lines for the benefit of Sun TV which is in his exclusive knowledge. There is evidence of forging/ tampering and manipulation of records and custodial interrogation is necessary to ascertain the modus operandi of the usage of the illegal telephone exchange, to ascertain the actual usage and consequential loss to the public exchequer.”

A bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and V. Gopala Gowda posted the matter for further hearing on November 27 to enable Mr Maran to file his rejoinder to the CBI’s affidavit. The bench had already stayed the Madras high court order cancelling his anticipatory bail.

The CBI said that Mr Maran had 764 telephone lines under service category which were used for the benefit of his brother’s Sun TV. There is evidence on record to substantiate the allegations that the petitioner in criminal conspiracy with the CGMs of BSNL illegally obtained these 764 telephone numbers under service category. No approval of DoT was obtained wilfully for any of these connections.

In 2009, the petitioner was instrumental in getting generated a fake/forged reply from BSNL stating that during the relevant period (2004 to 2007) there was only one connection in the name of petitioner and there was no outstanding on him.

On Mr Maran’s contention that as a minister he was entitled for service line as has been provided to all the previous communications ministers, the CBI said: “Some of the ministers obtained connections in private capacity, for which the payment was made by them whereas the petitioner obtained 764 telephone numbers illegally and without the approval of DoT.”