Stay on Maran brothers discharge from telephone exchange case

CHENNAI: Madras High Court allowed a revision petition filed by the CBI and set aside an order passed by a lower court in March 2018 discharging former Telecommunications Minister Dayanithi Maran, his elder brother Kalanithi Maran and five others from the BSNL illegal telephone exchange case. Justice G Jayachandran ruled that the lower court order was erroneous, illegal as well as perverse. The judge held that there were sufficient materials on record to prosecute all the seven accused in the case, and directed the lower court to proceed with framing of charges against them and complete the trial within 12 months from now. Justice Jayachandran pointed out that the trial court had discharged all the seven accused in the case though the Maran brothers did not even file any petition to discharge them.