SC likely to hear Sun TV plea against assets attachment

New Delhi, July 2  The Supreme Court is likely to hear a plea by the Maran family-owned Sun TV, challenging the attachment of its assets worth Rs.742 crore by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the money laundering probe in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

As senior counsel Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter in the court on Thursday, the bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu said "let it come in due course".

The court was told that Sun TV had moved the Madras High court against the attachment order but it refused to interfere with it, saying that the apex court was seized of the matter and has barred other courts from entertaining any plea rooted in 2G matters.

The Enforcement Directorate registered a case in 2012, taking cognizance of the case earlier filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The matter relates to sale of Aircel to Maxis owned by T. Ananda Krishnan in 2006 wherein Aircel's original owner C. Sivasankaran had alleged that he was pressured to sell Aircel as it was denied licences.

The CBI alleged quid pro quo, saying that in return Malaysian company Maxis invested crores in Sun TV owned by the Maran family.

The Maran brothers -- former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his elder brother Kalanithi -- have maintained that the Aircel-Maxis matter did not fall in the ambit of 2G scam involving the cancellation of 122 licences that were granted in an arbitrary manner.