The top court gave the CBI a month to file the report since the Central agency has just commenced its probe. The Enforcement Directorate also filed a status report in a sealed envelope on its ingoing investigation in this matter.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a report detailing the status of probe being carried out on various aspects of the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
The top court gave the CBI a month to file the report since the Central agency has just commenced its probe. The Enforcement Directorate also filed a status report in a sealed envelope on its ingoing investigation in this matter.
The order came close on the heels of a plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The BJP leader informed the bench led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar that the CBI responded to a letter he had written in which they said that "all angles" were being pursued. The CBI is also looking at the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to the deal by then Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2006.
The fresh CBI probe in the Aircel-Maxis deal not only spells trouble for Chidambaram but also his son Karthi who is being investigated in alleged graft case.
An audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has put former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in a spot, as it alleges that he violated rules of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) by clearing Aircel-Maxis deal involving Rs 3,514.45 crore. And the Department of Telecom (DoT) completely ignored the fact that Malaysia-based Maxis Group has as much as 99.3 per cent stakes in Aircel, while the Indian government rules allow a foreign company to have only 74 per cent stake in a telecom company.
FIPB rules clearly state that the Finance Minister can only approve proposal worth Rs 600 crore and it is mandatory that he refers all proposals above Rs 600 crore to the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA). But Chidambaram passed it without referring it to CCEA.
Final CAG audit report, exclusively accessed by DNA, says: "MoF (Ministry of Finance) letter dated 20 March 2006 conveying the approval of FIPB for foreign investment in Aircel Ltd was silent on the quantum of foreign investment of Maxis group of Malaysia approved investment in Aircel Ltd.''
Charges levelled against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who was being probed by agencies as he was accused of misusing his office to engineer the sale of telecom Aircel to Malaysia's Maxis Group, were dismissed by a special court in February.
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