DMK leader and former Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, who was on Wednesday discharged in the "illegal" telephone exchange case, said justice has prevailed and that he stood vindicated.
DMK leader and former Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, who was on Wednesday discharged in the "illegal" telephone exchange case, said justice has prevailed and that he stood vindicated.
A special CBI court here discharged him, his brother Kalanithi and five other accused in the case.
Last year, a Delhi Court had cleared Dayanidhi, Kalanithi and the latter's wife in the Aircel-Maxis case.
"Once again justice has prevailed. I stand vindicated, for the second time," Dayanidhi Maran said in a statement.
He said he has been stating from day one that these cases were "politically motivated and foisted falsely, out of jealousy and business rivalry against my brother and to defame me, my family and my party."
"In both the cases, the court has found that there was neither merit nor substance in the allegations levelled against me and discharged me from these cases," he said.
He recalled he had resigned as Union Minister when these allegations were levelled against him, so that he could prove his innocence in a court of law.
"Now, I stand vindicated," he added.
He alleged lies were spread as news "and I was made to look like a villain. But, truth triumphed in the end." "This is a watershed moment for me. I take this opportunity to thank my beloved leader (apparently DMK president M
Karunanidhi, party members, family, friends and well-wishers who stood by me during these long and hard years," he said.
Meanwhile, he met DMK Working President MK Stalin after being discharged in the case.
Holding that there was no sufficient material to frame charges against any of them, Special judge S Natarajan allowed the petitions filed by the Maran brothers and others seeking their discharge.
The CBI had alleged that an illegal private telephone exchange was set up at the city residence of Dayanidhi Maran during 2004-06 when he was the telecom minister and it was used for the business transactions involving the Sun Network owned by his brother Kalanithi.
The central agency had alleged that Dayanidhi had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer.
During the hearing of the discharge petitions, the Maran brothers and others argued that they were innocent and did not commit any irregularities as alleged by the prosecution.
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