Telephone exchange case: CBI files chargesheet against Maran brothers

Chennai: The CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet before the principal special court for CBI cases in Chennai against former Union minister and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanidhi Maran of Sun TV, two former chief general managers of BSNL, his former additional private secretary and two employees in the illegal telecom exchange scam.

Maran allegedly operated an illegal BSNL exchange for the benefit of his brother Kalanidhi’s Sun TV network. The CBI filed the chargesheet more than a decade after using 764 high-speed data lines at the former’s residence which were used by a private TV channel causing a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer.

Maran, as Union minister in the UPA government from June 2004 to June 2007, and officials of BSNL, Chennai had entered into a conspiracy and caused a huge financial loss to the government exchequer, the CBI said in the chargesheet.