The case against Maran

Dayanidhi Marans problems began when former Aircel owner C Sivasankaran testified before the CBI that he was forced to sell his company to Malaysias Maxis Communication

Dayanidhi Marans problems began when former Aircel owner C Sivasankaran testified before the CBI that he was forced to sell his company to Malaysias Maxis Communication in December 2005 after Maran delayed licences to his company. The FIR that the CBI filed against the Marans says there was a deliberate attempt to delay the granting of licence to Aircel in 2004-5. The files relating to M/S Dishnet DSL Ltd (Aircel) on the issue of grant of licenses…were submitted to Maran through his personal secretary on December 24,2004. These files were returned to Nripendra Misra,(secretary,telecom) on March 3,2005 with the direction of Dayanidhi Maran that Misra should re-examine if there had been undue haste in processing the case files of Dishnet DSL Ltd… says the FIR.

The FIR further says Maran delayed the granting of licences to Aircel till an agreement was signed between Maxis Communication group and promoters of Aircel for ownership change in respect of these companies till December 26,2005. Charges stuck because Astro,an associate company of Maxis,bought a stake in Kalanidhi Marans Sun Direct for Rs 550 crore.

Industry insiders from Tamil Nadu say Sivasankaran and Maran never got along and after the former joined ranks with the Tata group,Maran started gunning for Tatas when he became telecom minister.

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In October 2005,a few months before the Aircel-Maxis deal,Sivasankaran and top Maxis executive Ralph Marshall held a conference call. It was then that Marshall informed Sivasankaran that the Maran brothers had cleared Maxiss takeover of Aircel that all his problems would be solved.

Sivasankaran,who had till then been desperately trying to get an appointment with Maran,received a call from Maranafter Marshall had spoken to him. The FIR says that Maran instructed Sivasankaran to sort out the deal with Maxis.

The agency alleged that the probe has established that there was an active intervention of Dayanidhi and his brother Kalanidhi in restricting the business environment for Sivasankaran,forcing the change of ownership to Maxis Communication and that undue favours after this change were for malafide consideration.

The CBI has placed the call details records of Maran and Maxis owner T Ananda Krishnan with former Aircel owner C Sivasankaran on record and booked the Maran brothers,Krishnan and Marshall under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Criminal Conspiracy.

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Marans stint as telecom minister saw other controversial decisions. On December 14,2005,Maran came out with guidelines for granting new licences but didnt seek Trais recommendation. Besides,he granted 27 licences without auctions,which might boomerang on him as the probe widens.