Chennai, April 2
The Sun TV Network Ltd
reserved comment on Thursday, a day after the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) attached Rs.742.58 crore worth of assets belonging to Dayanidhi
Maran, Kalanithi Maran, his wife Kaveri Kalanithi and other group
companies.
Senior group officials declined to comment to IANS on
the development, saying that the issue is sensitive and the stock
exchanges have to be informed first.
On Wednesday, ED announced
attachment of assets (moveable and immovable) worth Rs.742.58 crore
belonging to the Maran brothers, Kaveri Kalanithi, Sun TV Network and
group companies in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
Former telecom minister and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran was not available for comments despite several attempts by IANS.
According
to ED, one of the properties that are attached is the freehold land and
building owned by Sun Network Pvt Ltd worth Rs.266 crore.
The
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Dayanidhi Maran
used his influence to help Malaysian businessmen T. Ananda Krishnan buy
Aircel by coercing its owner C.Sivasankaran to part with his stake.
It
was alleged by Sivasankaran that Dayanidhi Maran favoured the Maxis
Group in the takeover of his company. In return, he further alleged, the
company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to
be owned by the Maran family.
Four companies -- Chennai-based Sun
Direct TV, Britain-based Astro All Asia Networks, Maxis Communications
Berhad of Malaysia and the South Asia Entertainment Holdings of
Mauritius -- have also been named in the charges filed on August 29 last
year by CBI.
The CBI said there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the accused.
The
probe agency has booked all the accused on charges of criminal
conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the
Prevention of Corruption Act. It has filed a charge sheet against the
Maran brothers and their companies, including foreign firms.
The
ED on Wednesday said the attachment was in respect of the offence of
money laundering relating to illegal gratification amounting to
Rs.742.58 crore received by Dayanidhi Maran for his two companies - Sun
Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. (SDTPL) and South Asia FM Ltd. (SAFL) - from
companies based in Mauritius.
The investigation under the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act further revealed that promoters of
SDTPL were Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kaveri Kalanithi.
According to the ED, the following properties were attached under section 5(1) of the PMLA:
Fixed
deposits held by Dayanidhi Maran and others - Rs.7.47 crore; Fixed
deposits held by SDTPL - Rs.31.34 crore; Fixed deposits held by SAFL -
Rs.6.19 crore; Mutual funds held by SAFL - Rs.15.14 crore; Fixed
deposits held by Kalanithi Maran - Rs.100 crore; Mutual funds held by
Kalanithi Maran - Rs.2.78 crore; Fixed deposit held by Kaveri Kalanithi -
Rs.1.3 crore;. Mutual funds held by Kaveri Kalanithi - Rs.1.78 crore;
Land and building owned by Kal Comm Private Limited - Rs.171.55 crore;
Free hold land and building owned by Sun Network TV Pvt. Ltd - Rs.266
crore; and Shares of SDTPL held by Kalanithi Maran - Rs.139 crore.
