Aircel-Maxis case: ED moves SC against clean chit to Marans

The Enforcement Directorate has moved the Supreme Court against a special court's order discharging former telecom minister Dayanithi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and two firms of charges of corruption and money laundering in the Aircel-Maxis case. The agency urged the apex court not to order the release of the properties attached in the case. The case is likely to be taken up later today.

The court had given the clean chit Thursday to the Maran brothers stating that the entire case on the deal was based on ''misreading of official files''. The court also gave a clean chit to Sun Direct TV (P) Ltd and South Asia Entertainment Holdings Limited, Mauritius. (See: Aircel-Maxis case: Special Court discharges Maran brothers, other accused)

In its appeal, the agency urged the apex court to direct the special 2G court against accepting the bonds furnished by the Marans after their discharge. It also asked the Supreme Court not to release the Maran brothers' properties attached in the case.

Discharging the Maran brothers, Special Judge O P Saini had said ''legally admissible evidence'' was ''wholly lacking'' in the probe that was conducted. The Central Bureau of Investigation had alleged that the Marans received a bribe of Rs742 crore for ''coercing'' C Sivasankaran to sell his telecom company Aircel to Malaysia-based Maxis.

In the money laundering case probed by the ED, it was alleged that Rs742.58 crore was paid for Dayanidhi by two Mauritius-based companies through Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd and South Asia FM Ltd, both companies owned and controlled by Kalanithi.