New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Kalanithi Maran, to face trial in the decade-old illegal BSNL telephone exchange case, along with his brother and former Union Telecom Minister Dayanithi Maran. The Madras High Court while setting aside the trial court order discharging Dayanithi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others from the case remitted the case back to the special court for CBI cases and directed the court to continue the trial and complete framing of charges within 12 weeks.
A three-judge bench had on July 30 dismissed the appeals filed by Dayanidhi Maran and three others against the High Court order. At that time Mr. Kalanithi Maran did not prefer an appeal. In his appeal Mr. Kalaninithi Maran said the High Court had allowed the CBI’s appeal without affording an opportunity of hearing the matter on merits. The order was in contravention of the statutory mandate of Section 40 (1) of Cr. P.C. and the principles of natural justice.
He pleaded for quashing the High Court order. Justice Gogoi told counsel for Kalanithi Maran that the court would not interfere with the High Court and that he should face trial. The court dismissed his appeal. The special CBI court had in March discharged Dayanidti Maran, his brother Kalanithi and others accused in the case. The trial court had allowed the petitions filed by the Maran brothers and others seeking their discharge, holding that there was no prima facie case against them.
