Dayanidhi Maran booked for setting BSNL exchange at home

The CBI on Tuesday filed an FIR against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and BSNL officials for allegedly allotting 300 high-speed telephone lines to Maran’s residence in Chennai, which were later extended to his brother’s news channel Sun TV.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday filed an FIR against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and BSNL officials for allegedly allotting 300 high-speed telephone lines to Maran’s residence in Chennai, which were later extended to his brother’s news channel Sun TV.

Reports claimed an FIR was filed following CBI`s preliminary enquiry, which found enough material to proceed with a regular case against Maran and BSNL officials - the then CGM K Bramhanathan and MP Veluswami.

The agency that had registered the inquiry into allegations in 2011 had wrapped up its probe in July.

The CBI sources claim that these 323 residential lines were allegedly in the name of BSNL General Manager connecting the Boat House residence of Maran with the office of Sun TV through a dedicated underground cable during his tenure as Telecom Minister.
The probe had started in 2011, nearly four years after getting complaints that a ‘virtual’ telephone exchange was allegedly set-up at the then Telecom Minister’s for facilitating data transfer from Sun TV.

The agency had recommended action to the then Telecom Secretary in 2007 but the department allegedly did not give its nod in the case.
Finally, the CBI had filed a preliminary inquiry in the case in 2011.

The sources said these lines were not ordinary telephone lines but costly ISDN, capable of carrying huge data thus facilitating faster transmission of TV news and programmes across the globe.

The CBI in its report to the Telecom Secretary had alleged that these lines were for the use of large commercial enterprises to meet special needs such as video conferencing or transmission of huge volume of digital data for which heavy fee is charged but Sun TV got it for free.

With PTI inputs

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