2G scam: CBI gives clean chit to Maran

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the 2G spectrum scam, today filed its interim report in the Supreme Court, which said that there was no element of coercion in sale of Aircel, thus giving a clean chit to former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran.

The CBI said it could not find any evidence to prove that that Dayanidhi Maran misused his office to ensure that Aircel was sold by its owner to an entrepreneur who was close to Maran and his brother Kalanidhi.

The investigating agency said that the licences granted during the tenure of former telecom ministers Arun Shourie and late Pramod Mahajan should also be investigated as also the role of the then finance minister Jaswant Singh.

Following the allegation by C Sivasankaran, who owned Aircel earlier, that Maran had forced the sell off of Aircel, he had to resign as the textiles minister in July.

During the hearing on August 24, the CBI had informed the court that chargesheets have been filed against 17 persons including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi. It also said that a third chargesheet would be filed by September 15.