CHENNAI: Former Union minister
Dayanidhi Maran
and his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran, who heads a media conglomerate that includes Sun Network, appeared before a
CBI court in Chennai on Monday in connection with an illegal telephone exchange case.
The XIV special judge for CBI cases, Bhaskaran, before whom the
Marans
appeared, adjourned the matter to April 22 for further hearing, after it was submitted by the CBI that the documents to be served on the two were not yet ready.
According to the CBI, Dayanidhi Maran, during the check period of June 2004 to December 2006, when he was Union minister for communication and information technology, misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residences in Chennai and utilised the facility for business transactions involving Sun Network.
It said he had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer. More than 700 telecom lines were installed at their residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram, the agency charged.
Among the accused were former BSNL general manager K Brahmnathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy and Dayanidhi Maran’s private secretary Gauthaman. After a lull, Sun Network personnel Kannan and Ravi, besides Gowthaman, were arrested by the CBI in January 2015 in connection with the case.
The Maran brothers, however, obtained an anticipatory bail from the Madras high court and participated in the inquiry before the CBI in Delhi thereafter.