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  India   SC to Maran: Appear before CBI for 6 days

SC to Maran: Appear before CBI for 6 days

PTI
Published : Nov 28, 2015, 5:06 am IST
Updated : Nov 28, 2015, 5:06 am IST

Former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran will have to appear before CBI investigators for six days, starting from November 30, for questioning in the telephone exchange case, the Supreme Court d

Former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran will have to appear before CBI investigators for six days, starting from November 30, for questioning in the telephone exchange case, the Supreme Court directed on Friday while extending protection against arrest to him.

While asking Mr Maran to appear before the CBI from 11 am to 5 pm from Monday, the bench comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and V. Gopala Gowda, however, refused to allow 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...,” it said while admitting the plea of Mr Maran for final hearing.

It asked attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the 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 Mr Maran does not co-operate and answer the queries.

At the outset, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the DMK leader, referred to the list of dates of events to drive home the point that the “belated” plea for custodial interrogation was the misuse of the might of the state.

“The offence pertains to a period between 2004-2007 ...And the FIR was registered in 2013 and the petitioner has appeared for questioning several times,” he said, adding that the CBI has not alleged that he ever “interfered”, “influenced” or “tampered” with the probe.

It was a service connection which all communications ministers get, he said.On being told that the it was a multiple calling facility, the bench asked, “why did he require so many connections ”Mr Rohatgi opposed the plea saying that the case was not so simple.

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