Aircel-Maxis deal: ED names Maran brothers in money laundering case chargesheet

Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and four others were on Friday chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in the Special 2G court in connection with a money laundering case lodged in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

ED, in its charge sheet filed before Special Judge O P Saini, named as accused the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Maran and three others, including two companies. The court has fixed the charge sheet for consideration on January 18 and asked the agency to place before it the entire set of documents relating to the case.

The ED had on April 1, 2015 attached the assets, estimated at Rs 742.05 crore, held by Dayanidhi Maran, Sun Group Chief Kalanithi Maran and Kavery in the case.

Earlier, the CBI in August 2014 had chargesheeted Maran brothers, Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four companies -- Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd and Astro All Asia Network PLC -- in the case.

CBI had earlier alleged in the court that Dayanidhi Maran had "pressured" and "forced" Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006.