CBI trying to fix me in false case: Dayanidhi Maran

Chennai, Jan 22 (IANS) DMK leader and former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran Thursday alleged that the CBI is trying to fix him in a false case and torturing his aides.

He also alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is trying to satisfy the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by implicating him.

According to him, if at all there is a case against him, then it should be treated as a civil case.

Maran's outburst comes following the arrest of three people, including his former additional private secretary V. Gowthaman by the CBI.

The allegation against Maran is that he had got installed over 300 telephone lines at his residence while he was the union telecom minister and connected them to the Sun TV office promoted by his brother for further uplinking.

The CBI also arrested Sun TV's chief technical officer S. Kannan and electrician K.S. Ravi.

Maran said there was no telephone exchange installed at his residence and all that he had was an Integrated Services for Digital Network (ISDN) line which many other central ministers have at their residence.

He said the issue should be considered as a civil case and not a criminal one and the agencies should have approached him to get the issue sorted out.

Maran is also facing another telecom Aircel-Maxis case filed by the CBI.

The charge against Maran in the Aircel-Maxis case is that he pressurised then Aircel promoter C. Sivasankaran to sell his stakes to Malaysian group Maxis in 2006.