SME Times News Bureau | 21 Mar, 2019
In a set back for the Maran brothers - Sun TV promoter Kalanithi Maran
and former Union Minister and DMK's Lok Sabha candidate Dayanidhi Maran -
and others, the Madras High Court on Wednesday declined to quash the
charges framed against them in the illegal telephone exchange case.
The
court also directed the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
court to complete the proceedings in four months, and if they (the
accused) adopt dilatory measures, then the trial court can also remand
them to custody.
The CBI had alleged a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to
the government due to the alleged installation of an illegal telephone
exchange at Dayanidhi Maran's house - when he was the Communication and
Information Technology Minister - and its use for Sun TV operations.
In March 2017, the CBI court discharged all the accused but the Madras High Court set aside the order.
Apart
from the Maran brothers, the others discharged by the special CBI court
were BSNL's former Chief General Manager K. Brahmanathan and former
Deputy General Manager M. Velusamy, the former Minister's Personal
Secretary V. Gowthaman and Sun TV network employees S. Kannan and K.S.
Ravi.
The Madras High Court had on June 25 remitted back the
illegal telephone exchange case against the Marans to a special CBI
court and ordered framing of charges against all the accused.
Its
order had come on an appeal by the CBI challenging the special CBI
court's March 14 order discharging the Maran brothers and others in the
case.
