Chennai: The XIV Additional Special Court for CBI Cases, Chennai, will pass its verdict on March 14 on petitions moved by former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran, his elder brother Kalanidhi Maran of Sun TV group and five others seeking them to discharge them from the illegal telephone exchange scam.
When the discharge petitions came up for hearing before the XIV Additional Special Court for CBI Cases on Friday, special judge S. Natarajan has posted the matter to March 14 for pronouncing a verdict on their plea.
Dayanidhi Maran, Kalanidhi Maran, former BSNL general manager K. Brahmnathan, former deputy general manager M.P. Velusamy, Chief Technical Officer S Kannan and electrician K S Ravi of Sun TV network, and Dayanidhi Maran’s private secretary Gowthaman, filed the discharge petitions before the court in October last year.
The Special Public Prosecutor for CBI vehemently opposed the petitions. The CBI alleged that Dayanidhi Maran used 764 telephone links and for which no bills were raised causing a loss of '1.78 crore to BSNL, Chennai and MTNL, Delhi.
The telephone lines were connected from his residences initially in Gopalapuram and later in the Boat Club to his brother’s Sun TV office for the illegal use.
SPP stated that their discharge petitions must be dismissed as there was prima facie in the charge. Special judge S. Natarajan has posted the matter to March 14 for pronouncing the verdict in connection with the discharge petitions.
