The Supreme Court on Monday (14 September 2015) gave former union communications minister Dayanidhi Maran time to submit his response to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) wherein he has challenged the agency’s plea for his custody to investigate alleged conspiracy using the telephone exchange that was installed at his Chennai residence for the family-owned Sun TV.
A bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice V. Gopala Gowda gave time to Maran as senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court that they need a week’s time to file their response to CBI’s reply to ex-minister’s plea challenging the Central Bureau of Investigation’s move for his custodial interrogation.
The court directed the listing of the matter on October 1 as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought the date telling the court that Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was leading the investigating agency’s case before the bench and requested for next hearing on that date.
In the last date of the hearing of the matter on August 12, the apex court, while staying the Madras High Court order cancelling Maran’s anticipatory bail, asked if any political vendetta was in play for CBI seeking his custody for interrogation.
The court had then chided the CBI for doing nothing for over two years since 2013 when the case was registered and now pressing for Maran’s custody.
The CBI has alleged that Maran entered into a conspiracy with BSNL officials to use telephone facilities that were installed at his Chennai residence for his official use for Sun TV’s benefit.
The investigating agency has said that it wanted his custodial interrogation to unearth the conspiracy between Sun TV, BSNL Officials and Maran and it was a case under Prevention of Corruption Act.
