Tycoon Ananda Krishnan's name has resurfaced again in India over a money laundering case involving a former minister and five others.
Former India Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and four others were on last Friday chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in the Special 2G court in connection with a money laundering case lodged in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
![]()
ED, in its charge sheet filed before Special Judge O P Saini, named as accused the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Maran and three others, including two companies.
The court has fixed the charge sheet for consideration on January 18 and asked the agency to place before it the entire set of documents relating to the case.
![]()
The ED had on April 1, 2015 attached the assets, estimated at Rs 742.05 crore, held by Dayanidhi Maran, Sun Group Chief Kalanithi Maran and Kavery in the case.
Earlier, the CBI had in August 2014 chargesheeted Maran brothers, Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan (pic), Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four companies -- Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd and Astro All Asia Network PLC -- in the case.
CBI had earlier alleged in the court that Dayanidhi Maran had "pressured" and "forced" Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006.
In August last year, CBI told a special court that Malaysian authorities were not "cooperating" in the service of summons against four accused in the Aircel-Maxis deal case after which the judge issued fresh summons.
The agency said the Indian High Commission and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have tried thrice to get the summons served to Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Augustus Ralph Marshall and two accused firms but they have not received any positive response from them.
"The High Commission and the MHA have tried thrice for service of summons. In the first set of summons, they said there was some problem. They are not cooperating. We have sent the report thrice," senior public prosecutor K K Goel told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
Goel also placed before the court the records pertaining to request sent to the Malaysian authorities. He said, "We cannot force a foreign country. We are requesting them and are pursuing it. We have also written to our High Commission in Malaysia."
Special public prosecutor Anand Grover told the court that fresh summons should be issued against the four accused.
"Malaysian authorities are not cooperating. Fresh summons should be issued instead of extending the date of summons," he said.
During the hearing, the judge observed, "Can't we separate the trial?"
Responding to this, Grover said, "Splitting the case at this stage will cause prejudice to us. So we can wait."
After hearing the submissions, the court issued fresh summons to Krishnan, Marshall and two accused firms -- Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Network PLC -- for December 7 last year.
I don't think Ananda is ignoring the case. His lawyers probably have specific plan to get him off the hook, and there is no need at all for the government to interfere in the case.
Former India Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and four others were on last Friday chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in the Special 2G court in connection with a money laundering case lodged in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
ED, in its charge sheet filed before Special Judge O P Saini, named as accused the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Maran and three others, including two companies.
The court has fixed the charge sheet for consideration on January 18 and asked the agency to place before it the entire set of documents relating to the case.
Earlier, the CBI had in August 2014 chargesheeted Maran brothers, Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan (pic), Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four companies -- Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd and Astro All Asia Network PLC -- in the case.
CBI had earlier alleged in the court that Dayanidhi Maran had "pressured" and "forced" Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his stakes in Aircel and two subsidiary firms to Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006.
In August last year, CBI told a special court that Malaysian authorities were not "cooperating" in the service of summons against four accused in the Aircel-Maxis deal case after which the judge issued fresh summons.
The agency said the Indian High Commission and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have tried thrice to get the summons served to Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, Augustus Ralph Marshall and two accused firms but they have not received any positive response from them.
"The High Commission and the MHA have tried thrice for service of summons. In the first set of summons, they said there was some problem. They are not cooperating. We have sent the report thrice," senior public prosecutor K K Goel told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
Goel also placed before the court the records pertaining to request sent to the Malaysian authorities. He said, "We cannot force a foreign country. We are requesting them and are pursuing it. We have also written to our High Commission in Malaysia."
Special public prosecutor Anand Grover told the court that fresh summons should be issued against the four accused.
"Malaysian authorities are not cooperating. Fresh summons should be issued instead of extending the date of summons," he said.
During the hearing, the judge observed, "Can't we separate the trial?"
Responding to this, Grover said, "Splitting the case at this stage will cause prejudice to us. So we can wait."
After hearing the submissions, the court issued fresh summons to Krishnan, Marshall and two accused firms -- Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Network PLC -- for December 7 last year.
I don't think Ananda is ignoring the case. His lawyers probably have specific plan to get him off the hook, and there is no need at all for the government to interfere in the case.