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
January 18,2020

New Delhi, Jan 18: Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, on Saturday slammed senior lawyer Indira Jaising for her suggestion that she should forgive her daughter's rapists.

"Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? The whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims," Asha Devi said here.

"Cannot believe how Indira Jaising even dared to suggest this. I met her many times over the years in Supreme Court, not even once has she asked for my well being and today she is speaking for the convicts. Such people earn their livelihoods by supporting rapists, hence rape incidents do not stop," she added.

Asha Devi further accused Jaising of using "the garb of human rights" to make a living.

'People like her keep earning money under the garb of human rights. I do not need her suggestions... Just because of people who think like her incidents like rape keep happening, she is a disgrace to women," she said.

Earlier yesterday, Indira Jaising, through a tweet, had urged Asha Devi to forgive the perpetrators and had used the example of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, who had forgiven Nalini, one of the convicts who was given the death penalty by the courts.

"While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she did not want the death penalty for her. We are with you but against the death penalty," Jaising's tweet read.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Lucknow, Mar 5: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said last night that the role of teachers would come under the scanner when "anti-India" slogans are raised at universities and institutions of higher education.

"When anti-India slogans are raised at institutions of higher education, we should be prepared to ask why this type of distortion occurrs among our students?" he said at a programme organised by the Basic Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow.

"We begin our work with pledge for the country's unity and integrity and today slogans are raised for the division of the nation. In such a situation, questions are raised over the role of teachers who are considered equal to god in society," he said.

"Who all are involved in this sin and chaos? Governments can provide resources, but the one who has given them basic education, who has given them secondary education and who has led them to that place, all of them should evaluate their actions today," the chief minister said.

Speaking about the condition of education in the state when his government came to power three years ago, he said there was an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy in the state and the condition of basic education was very bad.

"The worst problem was that of proxy teachers. Our government started the process of prohibiting proxy teachers in the first phase," he said.

Adityanath said that a teacher is not just a government servant, but the fate of the nation. He said teachers should learn from Chanakya.

Had Chanakya confined himself to Nalanda University, he would not have been able to make India a superpower of the world during that period. Teachers will have to prepare themselves according to the challenges and need of society, he added.

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News Network
January 27,2020

New Delhi, Jan 27: The government on Monday issued the preliminary information memorandum for 100 per cent stake sale in national carrier Air India. As part of the strategic disinvestment, Air India would also sell 100 per cent stake in low cost airline Air India Express and 50 per cent shareholding in joint venture AISATS, as per the bid document issued on Monday.

Management control of the airline would also be transferred to the successful bidder.

The government has set March 17 as the deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest (EoI).

EY is the transaction adviser for Air India disinvestment process.

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