SC stays cancellation of Maran's anticipatory bail

New Delhi, August 12: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Madras High Court order cancelling former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran’s anticipatory bail in an alleged illegal telephone exchange case as it asked if any political vendetta was in play for CBI seeking his custody for interrogation. It slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for doing nothing for over two years since 2013 when the case was registered and now pressing for Maran’s custody for interrogation. A bench of Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice R. Banumathi chided the CBI for not arresting even one person in the Rs.8,000 crore tiol Rural Health Mission scam in Uttar Pradesh, but seeking Maran’s custody for an outstanding bill of about Rs. 2 crore. The CBI has alleged that Maran entered into a conspiracy with BSNL officials to use telephone facilities installed at his Cheni residence to benefit the family-owned Sun TV. However, this did not wash down for the apex court. “How this conspiracy was hatched. Why have (you) not arrested them (BSNL officials allegedly involved in the conspiracy). You should have caught hold of these officials. We will not approve of this (taking Maran into custody for interrogation). Question is why custody. Unless there is any other purpose. Is there any political vendetta for pushing his arrest?” Justice Thakur said apparently not persuaded of the submissions by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. “He is a politician. There may be people. All kind of things are going on. Less said the better,” Justice Thakur said as Rohatgi contended that there was no “any other purpose” or “political vendetta”. Wondering why the first law officer was appearing in a matter where the challenge is to the cancellation of anticipatory bail, the court gave the CBI three weeks to respond to the petition by Dayanidhi Maran and directed the next hearing of the matter on September 14. (IANS)