CBI quizzes Dayanidhi Maran in exchange case

The CBI on Monday questioned former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran in connection with the case of alleged installation of over 300 high-speed telephone lines at his Chennai residence.

This comes after the Supreme Court had rejected the demand of the CBI to take Maran into custody while directing the former minister to appear before the agency from 11 am to 5 pm for six days for answering its queries.

Maran reached the agency headquarters in the morning where his examination is underway, CBI sources said.

The CBI has registered an FIR against Maran and others alleging that over 300 high-speed telephone lines were provided at his residence here and extended to his brother Kalanithi Maran’s SUN TV channel to enable its uplinking when Dayanidhi Maran was the communications minister from 2004-07.

The then chief general manager of BSNL has claimed that the telephone exchange was set up on the oral order of the then minister, attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi told the SC.

The Madras high court had on August 10 cancelled Maran’s interim anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender before the CBI in three days, holding that “prima facie” Maran had “misused” his office by obtaining phone connections illegally and the charges against him were backed by material.

It was challenged before the top court by Maran where CBI had claimed his custodial interrogation by the probe agency which said it needed his custody to unravel the “actual conspiracy” as the telephone lines were allegedly used by his family-run Sun TV.

“We will not grant you (CBI) his custody. Interim order (of protection against arrest) to continue. In the meantime, we direct the petitioner to appear before CBI...” the apex court said, admitting the plea of Maran for final hearing.

It asked Mr Rohatgi, appearing for CBI, to prepare a questionnaire and give them to CBI personnel and the accused and further granted liberty to the agency to move before it if Maran does not cooperate and answer the queries.