The Supreme Court has stopped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from provisionally attaching the assets of the Sun TV network in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
The ED had ordered a provisional attachment of assets of Sun TV worth Rs.742 crores, belonging to the Maran brothers and Kalanithi Maran's wife Kaveri Kalanithi in connection with its probe into alleged money laundering in the Aircel-Maxis deal in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
A two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy clarified that the period of 180 days to attach assets will not expire during the pendency of present plea of Sun TV.
The period was stipulated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, PMLA, to conclude proceedings after issuance of a notice.
The Sun TV Network had moved the apex court after the Madras High Court refused to hear their plea against the provisional attachment on the grounds that the case was linked to the 2G spectrum scam.
The apex court had in July decided to take up the matter.