<p class="title">A special CBI court here today discharged former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and other accused in the "illegal" telephone exchange case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Special judge S Natarajan allowed the petitions filed by the Maran brothers and others seeking their discharge, holding that there was no prima facie case against them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judge had on March 9 reserved orders for today in the case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI had alleged that an illegal private telephone exchange was set up at the city residence of Dayanidhi during 2004-06 when he was the telecom minister and it was used for the business transactions involving the Sun Network owned by his brother Kalanithi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The central agency had alleged that Dayanidhi had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Other accused who have been discharged are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman, and Sun TV officials.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During the hearing of the discharge petitions, the Maran brothers and others argued that they were innocent and did not commit any irregularities as alleged by the prosecution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Senior counsel Kabil Sibal, who had appeared for the Maran brothers, had contended that the case was foisted on them. </p>
<p class="title">A special CBI court here today discharged former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi and other accused in the "illegal" telephone exchange case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Special judge S Natarajan allowed the petitions filed by the Maran brothers and others seeking their discharge, holding that there was no prima facie case against them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The judge had on March 9 reserved orders for today in the case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The CBI had alleged that an illegal private telephone exchange was set up at the city residence of Dayanidhi during 2004-06 when he was the telecom minister and it was used for the business transactions involving the Sun Network owned by his brother Kalanithi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The central agency had alleged that Dayanidhi had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Other accused who have been discharged are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman, and Sun TV officials.</p>.<p class="bodytext">During the hearing of the discharge petitions, the Maran brothers and others argued that they were innocent and did not commit any irregularities as alleged by the prosecution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Senior counsel Kabil Sibal, who had appeared for the Maran brothers, had contended that the case was foisted on them. </p>