Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday downplayed the verdict given by a special court where it discharged the Maran brothers in the corruption and money laundering cases in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal case, stating that the main case of "illegal' Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance given to the firm is pending in the Supreme Court tomorrow.
Swamy, the main plaintiff in the case, said former finance minister P. Chidambaram had committed illegality while granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to Rs 3500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006.
"They were charged with a petty crime of having arm-twisting Sivasankaran, on that they have been led free. But the main case of illegal Foreign Investment Board Promotion clearance given by Chidambaram, which is my case coming up before the Supreme Court tomorrow, there Mr. Maran is a co-conspirator. That case is the main case. Now let the CBI appeal against this order and tag it along with my case and then we will get some results," Swamy told ANI.
Swamy's remarks came after the Patiala High Court, today, discharged Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanidhi Maran in the case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probed the corruption case, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) went into the money laundering charges.
Also Read
Special Judge O.P. Saini also discharged Kalanidhi's wife Kavery Kalanidhi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and two companies -- SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) in two different cases.
In the ED case, Maran brothers, Kavery Kalanidhi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and two companies -- SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) were accused.
The court on November 16 had also reserved its order, but had to defer it six times as documents were extremely voluminous, old, dusty, technical and complex in nature.
In August 2014, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against Maran brothers, alleging that Dayanidhi Maran used his influence to help Krishnan buy Aircel by coercing its owner Sivasankaran to part with his stake.
Sivasankaran alleged that Dayanidhi Maran favoured the Maxis Group in the takeover of his company. In return, Maran alleged that the company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to be owned by the Maran family.
The chargesheet was filed under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
