JOIN USSC asks Maran to appear before CBI for six days
The Supreme Court on Friday directed former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to appear before the CBI investigators for six days, starting from November 30, for questioning in illegal telephone exchange case.
A bench of Justices T S Thakur and V Gopala Gowda once again rejected the plea of the CBI for custodial interrogation of the DMK leader while extending protection to him against arrest.
The court asked Attorney-General (A-G) Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the CBI, to prepare a questionnaire and give them to the CBI personnel for his questioning between 11 am and 5 pm beginning November 30. The bench, however, allowed the CBI to approach the court if Maran does not co-operate and answer the queries in connection with the case.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing Maran, contended while giving a list of dates 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 the CBI has not alleged that he ever “interfered”, “influenced” or “tampered” with the probe.
Rohatgi, on his part, opposed the plea saying the case was not so simple and a “full-fledged” telephone exchange was set up at the minister’s Chennai house to provide ISDN connections without any approval to favour the family-run Sun TV.
The lines were not used for voice calls and rather used for communication of “data” and several such connections can be used by corporates like a TV company, he said.
The case, pertaining to the period between 2004-07, was registered in July 2013 and Maran was quizzed several times in this regard, that too for hours, he said, adding that the documents sought by the CBI have been handed over by him.
The A-G also said that “data transfer” is expensive and Maran’s custodial interrogation was needed to ascertain the actual conspiracy.
DH News Service