By IANS,
Chennai/New Delhi/Hyderabad : The CBI Monday conducted raids across three cities in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, searching the premises of DMK leader and former union minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother and an Apollo Hospital director. A first information report (FIR) report was also registered against the Maran brothers.
Besides Dayanidhi Maran, former communications minister, raids were also conducted at the premises of his brother and promoter of Sun TV group Kalanithi Maran, Apollo Hospital executive director Suneeta Reddy and offices of Sun TV.
Dayanidhi Maran is under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scanner following a complaint by industrialist C. Sivasankaran that he was forced to exit mobile telephone company Aircel by the then communications minister.
Sivasankaran alleged that Aircel was not given telecom licences and he was forced to sell his holdings to Malaysia-based Maxis group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.
The CBI Sunday registered a case against Maran brothers – Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanithi Maran – under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a CBI official said in Delhi.
An FIR was also registered against Ralph Marshall, CEO of Astra TV that invested in Sun TV and T. Ananda Krishnan.
CBI officials in Chennai said that a team from New Delhi was conducting the searches. The raids were conduced at Dayanidhi Maran’s premises in Chennai and Delhi while that of Sun Network offices in Hyderabad.
Suneeta Reddy, whose premises were raided at Chennai and Hyderabad, is the daughter of Pratap Reddy — the founder of Apollo group of hospitals.
Suneeta Reddy, who was chairperson of Aircel in 2005, was questioned by CBI last month. She has stakes in Sindya Securities and Investments, which holds 26 percent share in Aircel.
Apollo Hospitals, however, had clarified that the investments of Sindya Securities and Investments Pvt Ltd in Aircel were in compliance with Indian laws.