Marans got Rs 550cr bribe in Aircel-Maxis deal: CBI

July 27, 2012

CBI

New Delhi, July 27: The Central Bureau of Investigation is poised to file a charge-sheet against DMK leader and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi for allegedly receiving Rs 549 crore for their role in the acquisition of Aircel by Malaysia-based firm Maxis.

CBI sources on Thursday said the agency had questioned Dayanidhi recently, adding that other high-profile connections were also under investigation.

CBI has almost concluded investigations in the Aircel-Maxis case and has claimed illegal gratification was accepted by Dayanidhi through Kalanithi in the garb of premium share investment in family-controlled Sun Direct. The agency also claimed that as telecom minister, he blocked the legitimate requests of Dishnet DSL, paving the way for the Maxis takeover.

In a status report to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on telecom on Tuesday, CBI said mala fide considerations and an "illegal gratification" of Rs 549 crore were behind the "active intervention" of Dayanidhi and Kalanithi in curbing the business interests of Aircel's former owner C Sivasankaran.

When contacted, Dayanidhi told TOI that he did not want to offer any comment on the CBI report to JPC. He said he would not comment on a report said to have been presented to a parliamentary committee. "Only when a report is presented to Parliament can I comment on it," he said.

Alleging a Maran-Maxis nexus, CBI said, "It is prima facie revealed that the active intervention of Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in restricting business environment of Siva Group, change of ownership to M/s Maxis Communications and undue favours post this change was for mala fide considerations."

In its report, CBI said "undue favours" were offered to Maxis even after it took over Aircel and these were part of a plan involving Dayanidhi when he was telecom minister in UPA-1.

"An illegal gratification of Rs 549,96,01,793 was accepted as quid pro quo through his brother Kalanithi Maran in the garb of share premium invested in Sun Direct by M/s South Asia Entertainment Holdings which was a fully owned subsidiary of M/s Astro All Asia Networks," the CBI said.

The agency said Dayanidhi delayed grant of licences in seven telecom circles to Aircel and other approvals pending before DoT on "frivolous grounds" with the intention of forcing its exit from the telecom business.

Backing Sivasankaran's allegations that he was arm-twisted into selling Aircel to Maxis, CBI said Dayanidhi "rendered disservice to Dishnet (Aircel) paving the way for Maxis to acquire Aircel from Sivasankaran".

CBI said one Ralph Marshall of Maxis, on behalf of the firm's owner Ananda Krishnan, was in touch with Dayanidhi and Kalanithi prior to Aircel changing hands.

Pointing to how the attitude of DoT changed once Maxis took over Aircel, CBI said application for issuance of licences and other requests pending for long were acceded to and "undue favour was given to these companies for which alleged illegal gratification was paid by M/s Astro All Asia Networks to M/s Sun Direct of Kalanithi in the garb of purchase of its shares at a premium of Rs 69.57 a share".

The CBI probe showed directions were issued that show-cause notices be linked with issuance of licences, halting grant of licences to Dishnet. "Delays in allocation of licences to Dishnet and allocation of spectrum to it for various circles resulted in loss of revenue to Department of Telecom (DoT) which could have accrued by way of entry fee, licence fee and spectrum charges," agency sources said.


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News Network
April 8,2020

Jamnagar, Apr 7: A 14-month-old baby boy, who had tested positive for coronavirus in Gujarat's Jamnagar district on April 5, died of multiple organ failure on Tuesday, said officials.

The toddler, son of a migrant labourer-couple having no recent travel history, died in the evening at a government hospital in Jamnagar, said an official release.

He was in a critical condition ever since he was admitted to the hospital, it said.

The boy, who tested positive for coronavirus two days ago, was as on ventilator support and eventually died due to multiple organ failure, said the release.

He becomes the youngest patient to succumb to COVID-19 in Gujarat, where the death toll has now gone up to 16.

The baby was the first and the only case of coronavirus infection so far in entire Jamnagar district and the youngest to be diagnosed with the disease in Gujarat.

Ever since he tested coronavirus positive, the authorities had been tracing the source of his infection.

His parents are from Uttar Pradesh and work as casual labourers in factories in the port city.

His parents, who have no travel history in the recent past, are asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) and kept under quarantine, officials said.

The locality where the couple resides in Dared village near Jamnagar city has been put under complete lockdown to check the spread of the virus, they said.

Gujarat has so far recorded 175 coronavirus positive cases and 16 fatalities.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Bhopal, Mar 13: The Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Thursday decided to verify facts afresh in a complaint against former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his family, in which they are accused of falsifying a property document while selling land.

The development came after Mr Scindia quit the Congress and joined the BJP on Wednesday. 22 MLAs who belong to his camp also resigned, threatening the survival of the Kamal Nath government in the state.

"Yes, an order has been given for re-verification of facts in the complaint filed by Surendra Shrivastava," an Economic Offences Wing official told PTI.

An EOW release said Mr Shrivastava on Thursday filed a new complaint against Mr Scindia and his family, alleging that by falsifying a registry document, they sold him a piece of land at Mahalgaon which was smaller by 6,000 sq feet than the original agreement in 2009.

He had lodged the complaint first on March 26, 2014. But it was investigated and closed in 2018, the EOW official said. "As he again petitioned us today, we will re-verify the facts," the officer said.

Jyotiraditya Scindia's close aide Pankaj Chaturvedi alleged that it was political vendetta.

"The case had been closed for want of evidence. Now for vengeance, it is being reopened. We have full faith in the Constitution and law. We will get justice and Kamal Nath government a befitting reply," Mr Chaturvedi said.

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News Network
April 25,2020

New Delhi, Apr 25: Neighbourhood and standalone shops, including those selling garments, mobile phones, hardware and stationery items have been allowed to open but those located in market places, malls and COVID-19 hotspots and containment zones, will continue to remain shut till May 3.

In rural areas, all shops, except those in single and multi-brand shopping malls, are allowed to open.

However, a Home Ministry official said the final decision of whether to allow the additional shops to open or not will be taken by the state governments and Union Territory administrations depending on their respective COVID-19 situation.
 
While allowing opening of more shops, a move seen as a relief to people who have been under lockdown since March 24, the government order issued on Friday night said the shops will be functioning with 50 per cent of workforce and after adhering strictly to precautions which include social distancing and wearing of masks.

The Union Home Ministry also said malls, liquor and cigarette shops, sale of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms continue to remain shut.

Restaurants, hair salons and barber shops will not be allowed to open as these render services and do not fall under the shop category.

Amending its April 15 order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said in the Friday night order that "all shops, including neighbourhood shops and standalone shops, shops in residential complexes, within the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, registered under the the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State and UT" will be allowed to open during the lockdown.

The ministry also said shops located in registered markets located outside the municipal corporations and municipalities can open after following the drill of social distancing and wearing of masks but with 50 per cent of strength.

However, single and multi-brands shall continue to remain closed in these areas also.

"All shops registered under the the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State/UT, including shops in residential complexes and market complexes, except shops in multi-brand and single brand malls, outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities, with 50 per cent strength of workers with wearing of masks and social distancing being mandatory" will be allowed to function, the order said.

In a statement on Saturday, the Home Ministry said the order implies that in rural areas, all shops, except those in shopping malls are allowed to open.

In urban areas, all standalone shops, neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open.

Shops in markets and market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open.

"It is clarified that sale by e-commerce companies will continue to be permitted for essential goods only," the order said and also added that sale of liquor and other items continues to be prohibited as specified in the national directives for COVID-19 management.

The ministry said that liquor shops were given licence under the Excise Act of the states and the establishments thrown open from Saturday were covered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the states.

Sale of cigarettes, gutka are continue to be prohibited during the lockdown.

"As specified in the consolidated revised guidelines, these shops will not be permitted to open in areas, whether rural or urban, which are declared as containment zones by respective States and Union Territories," the statement said.

The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was further extended till May 3.

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