New Delhi: Former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran will have to face trial in the case related to the alleged setting up of “illegal” telephone exchanges for benefitting his brother Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV Network, the Supreme Court said on Monday.
The top court dismissed Maran’s plea challenging the Madras High Court’s July 25 decision setting aside a CBI court order discharging him in the case. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, R. Banum-athi and Navin Sinha said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter and all the allegations could be dealt with during the trial.
“The allegations against you is that you used telephone lines to set up an exchange to benefit your brother. All these allegations can be dealt at the time of trial, You can face trial,” the bench said.
Senior advocate A. M. Singhvi, appearing for Maran, said the high court had not considered all aspects and has wrongly set aside the trial court order discharging them.
The bench said the allegations are that you used these phones for a purpose which can be easily contested in the trial. “We are not inclined to interfere. However, as rec-ording our reasons for the above conclusion may aff-ect the trial, we refrain from doing so. It will, naturally, be open for each of the accused to urge all contentions before the trial Court and the trial will be held without being influenced by any of the observations/findings recorded in the impugned orders,” the bench said.
