Maran brothers & others discharged in Aircel-Maxis case

New Delhi: A special court on Thursday discharged former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran in connection with the Aircel-Maxis Case. Maran brothers were accused by investigating agencies of helping Malaysian group Maxis to acquire Aircel in exchange for a kickback of approximately Rs. 700 crores. The Pataiala House Court discharged Maran and his brother after it found insufficient evidence to prosecute them. The court also discharged Kalanithi's wife Kavery Kalanithi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and two companies - SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) in two different cases. The CBI Court on December 19 last year deferred pronouncing its orders against the Maran brothers and others to December 22. A special 2G court had earlier on September 17 last year dismissed the applications filed by the ex-telecom minister and his brother, challenging its jurisdiction to try the Aircel-Maxis deal case in which they have been summoned as accused. Pronouncing the order, the court had then said, "There is no manner of doubt that by the standard of subject matter and periodicity of alleged crime, the case fairly/squarely falls within the description/ designation of the 2G scam." The Maran brothers challenged the jurisdiction of the special 2G court in both cases lodged by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. The Enforcement Directorate alleged that two firms, South Asia FM Limited (SAFL) and Sun Direct TV Private Ltd. (SDTPL), had received Rs. 742.58 crore as "proceeds of crime" from Mauritius-based firms and that the two firms were then allegedly controlled by Kalanithi Maran.