The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked the Maxis Group for its cooperation in the ongoing scrutiny of the allotment of telecom licences between 2001 and 2007. Prior to this, former Aircel chief C. Sivasankaran had said that former Minister of Telecommunications and IT, Dayanidhi Maran and his brother had coerced him into selling his stake to the group.
Also, the CBI had spoken to various executives of Standard Chartered Bank, which was the banker in the alleged deal.
Sivasankaran had alleged that his application for a telecom licence, submitted during Maran?s regime, was rejected. This led to him selling his company to Maxis, whose owner was believed to be a close associate of Maran and his brother, who owns Sun TV.
Maran is alleged to have granted 14 licences to Dishnet Wireless (Aircel) during his tenure as the telecom minister. The CBI is scrutinising the financial transactions of Sun TV and Maxis, apart from the takeover of Aircel by the Maxis group.
