JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that the CBI probe into the 2006 Aircel-Maxis deal involving former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and an influential Malaysian businessman prima facie indicated a nexus.
The CBI, which submitted two reports before a bench of Justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan, told them that it had completed the probe inside the country while remaining investigation had to be carried out in Malaysia and Mauritius.
“The investigations prima facie indicates a nexus,” the Bench said, after going through the probe reports.
“We have completed the domestic probe and have to complete the investigation about the deal in Malaysia and Mauritius. Letters Rogatory have been sent to those countries.
“The gentleman in Malaysia who is involved in it is economically powerful and he is also powerful politically,” senior counsel K K Venugopal, representing the probe agency, said.
“We have to go into the source of fund. Information is that the money came through Mauritius. We want to show the link on the source of money to show the quid-pro-quo involved in the deal,” the counsel added, while reading portions of the status of the probe report. Maran is facing probe for allegedly coercing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel to a Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006 owned by Kuala Lumpur-based business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan.
Meanwhile, the apex court issued notice to Uttar Pradesh government on a plea made by deputy director in the Enforcement Directorate Rajeshwar Singh, alleging harassment in view of frivolous complaints being entertained by the principal secretary, home over there.
Senior advocate Harish Salve as well as Venugopal submitted that everyday some sorts of complaints were being filed against the officer raising different allegations while one PIL in Allahabad High Court and a complaint to the Chief Vigilance Commission were filed to harass the officer probing the 2G case.
The court stayed all proceedings against Singh noting, “constant efforts were being made to harass and browbeat the officer.”
Both the counsel alleged that the members of a political party close to a business group have filed complaints weighing 40 kg raising similar allegations against the officer.