An NGO has approached the Supreme Court to give directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate in the 2G spectrum case. The Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) has asked the apex court to attach the property and spectrum allotted to M/s Aircel, and restrain it from selling its stake and spectrum due to reported involvement in the scam.
‘Strange and disturbing’
The CPIL, through advocate Prashant Bhushan, contended that while properties worth Rs 742 crore of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and Sun Direct TV were being attached, it was “strange and disturbing” that the assets of Aircel-Maxis in India have not been attached. “This has happened despite the fact that Maxis and its owner have evaded summons issued by the special court,” the plea stated.
On August 29, 2014, the CBI had filed a charge sheet in a special court, saying that Maran had entered into a criminal conspiracy with T Ananda Krishnan (owner of Malaysian company Maxis), and coerced the original promoter of the telecom company Aircel to sell his shares to Krishnan, in lieu of investments to the sum of Rs 650 crore by Maxis Group into Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, owned by the Maran brothers.
In its application, the NGO, whose plea in 2010 led to the CBI investigation in the 2G case, also claimed that the company is attempting to quickly sell-off its allotted spectrum to Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications for thousands of crores, and exit the market with huge sums of money.
“If the deal between Aircel and Bharti Airtel and the deal between Aircel and Reliance Communications is allowed to go through, it would allow Maxis to abscond with thousands of crores of money,” it contended.
Published 08 December 2016, 19:08 IST