Finally Central Bureau of Investigation would file charge sheet against former communication minister Dayanidhi Maran in the Airtel-Maxis case, toeing the line of attorney general, who last week opined that the case had 'enough prosecutable evidence.'
Even though CBI claims that it has not officially received AG Mukul Rohtagi's opinion in the case as of now, the agency chief Ranjit Sinha told dna that 'he will go with the suggestion of AG.'
"We decided to send the file to AG for his opinion and we would follow his suggestions," Sinha said. The CBI's status report recommending a charge sheet against Maran was ready to be presented in the Supreme Court way back in September 2013.
However, Sinha decided to send the file to then AG, GE Vahanvati at least twice, which delayed the case for many months. Vahanvati had said that SC monitored case does not need his opinion.
According to sources, Sinha differed with the legal and investigating team that was probing the case and was not convinced to file the chargesheet stating that 'evidence was not beyond reasonable doubt.' He turned out to be the lone 'disenter in the case' the allegation Sinha rejects. "I decided to send the file to AG again. There is no change in stance," he added.
The CBI had started preliminary inquiry into Aircel-Maxis deal on January 4, 2011, and nine months later on October 9, had registered the FIR.
Maran, DMK MP who was also communications minister in UPA1, was accused of sitting on Aircel's applications for telecom licences and spectrum in more circles till after its owner C Sivasankaran sold it to Maxis. The allegation is that Dayanidhi did not want Sivasankaran to get licences and wanted to favour Maxis for an alleged quid pro quo.
The CBI has C Sivasankaran's statement under section 164, which is admissible in the court of law. C Sivasankaran, in his statement, has alleged that Maran forced him to sell his stake in the company to Malaysian-based Maxis Group owned by business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan.
The second evidence is that CBI investigators have obtained a reply from Mauritius to establish money trail from Maxis-Aircel to Sun Direct through Mauritius-based investment companies. Information obtained from Mauritius has details about the unsecured loans of Rs117 crore that Kalanidhi's (Dayanidhi's brother) company received from a Mauritius-based company DE Shaw Composite Investments.
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