JOIN US"Most of you have been trying to make a story today saying that I forced, arm-twisted and strangulated a person to sell his business to other person.Let me tell you Sivasankaran is not a millionaire, but a multi-billionaire. No one can force anyone to sell the business," Maran told reporters here.
He said the company was "parading itself" much before he became the Telecom minister in 2004 during the UPA-1 regime.
Quoting media reports published in 2004, Maran said Aircel was selling itself even before his entry into the Telecom Ministry."If anyone feels that he was forced to sell his business, he can always go to the court," Maran said.
"I will address appropriate authorities and prove my innocence," he said.
In a statement before CBI at Delhi, Sivasankaran had alleged that he was forced by Maran to sell his stake in Aircel to Malaysian firm Maxis, according to agency sources.
CBI had asked Sivasankaran to clarify certain questions and series of events involving alleged irregularities in spectrum allocation to Aircel, a telecom firm founded by him and later sold to Maxis.
Sivasankaran, who heads USD three billion conglomerate, Siva Group, had alleged his applications for licences were rejected by Maran as Telecom minister in 2006, forcing him to sell his company to Maxis, whose owner is considered to be close to Maran and his brother Kalanidhi, who owns Sun TV Network.