Maran resigns from cabinet

New Delhi, July 07: A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) held him guilty in the 2G spectrum scam, Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran on Thursday handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Dhayanidhi Maran finally puts his paper after CBI found him guilty
(Pic: BCCL)

The CBI in its 71-page fresh status report about the 2G scam told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that during 2004-07, when Maran was telecom Minister, a Chennai base telecom promoter (Sivasankaran) was forced to sell the stake in Aircel to a Malaysian firm.

The CBI also said that there did seem to be “an element of coercion” in the manner in which Aircel was sold to Ananda Krishnan’s Maxis empire.

The investigating agency said probe into all irregularities in spectrum allocation during 2001-08 will be completed within three months.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate informed the apex court that they have conducted probe in seven destinations in foreign countries and tracking the money trail could take up to 18 more months.

The CBI in its report has also questioned the propriety of corporate affairs ministry as well as others to comment on the status of relationship between Loop Telecom and Essar. The agency said this is unwarranted when apex court is already monitoring the investigations.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had on Wednesday said that it is high time the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, should drop him from the Union Cabinet.

“There is no use in expecting Dayanidhi Maran to take moral responsibility and resign. It is high time that the Prime Minister dropped him from the Union Council of Ministers,” Jayalalithaa told mediapersons here.

“It was high time that the CBI took such a step that it took today. It was long overdue. I am happy that they have done it now,” she added, while responding to a question on the CBI naming Maran in its report.

Maran is the third leader of UPA’s ally DMK, who is under scrutiny after lawmaker Kanimozhi and former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja were arrested for their alleged role in the 2G scam.

–Agencies