The CBI on Monday began a fresh round of questioning of former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran in connection with the case relating to illegal installation of high capacity data lines at his residence.
Maran’s questioning comes after the Supreme Court had rejected the CBI’s plea for his custodial interrogation. The apex court directed Maran to appear before the agency from 10 am to 5 pm for six days for answering its queries.
Maran reached the agency headquarters in the morning where he was grilled till 5 pm. The agency will continue to grill him till December 5 and is free to approach the SC if in case he is evasive during questioning and does not satisfy the queries of the sleuths.
“Till now, Maran seems to cooperate but we have to see if the momentum continues in the coming days. If he does not answer satisfactorily, we will again approach the Supreme Court seeking his custodial interrogation,” an agency official said without giving any specific details.
CBI has booked Maran and others alleging that over 300 high-speed telephone lines were provided at his Chennai residence and extended to Sun TV to facilitate speedy transmission of programmes. Sun TV is owned by his elder brother Kalanidhi. These lines were installed during Maran’s tenure as Telecom Minister between 2004 and 2007.
The then Chief General Manager of BSNl has claimed that the telephone exchange was set up on the oral order of the then Minister, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the SC.
The agency had in July questioned Maran for a few days with the former minister remaining evasive.
Madras High Court had on August 10 cancelled Maran’s interim anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender before CBI in three days, holding that “prima facie” Maran had “misused” his office by obtaining phone connections illegally and the charges against him were backed by material.
It was challenged before the apex court by Maran where CBI had claimed his custodial interrogation was required to unravel the “actual conspiracy” as the telephone lines were allegedly used by his family-run Sun TV.