The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a chargesheet against former Union information technology minister Dayanidhi Maran and six others in connection with the telephone exchange case in which he is accused of abusing his official position and causing a loss Rs 1.78 crore to the public exchequer, The Times of India reported.
Apart from Maran, charges were also filed against, two retired chief general managers of the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, a former additional personal secretary to the ministry of communications and information technology, two former officials of Sun TV (which is owned by Dayanidhi’s brother Kalanithi Maran) and a former chairman and managing director of the television network.
The charges were filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the criminal breach of trust by a public servant, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Charges were also filed under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The CBI, which registered the case in July 2013, had accused Maran of illegally installing at least 364 high-end telecommunication facilities at one of his residences.
Sun TV allegedly used 323 telephone lines installed in Dayanidhi’s home, to uplink the channel between 2004 and 2007.
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