Cornered by CBI, Former Sun TV Honchos Start Singing on Phone Exchange Scam
- Published Date: Jun 8, 2014 9:55 AM
- Last Updated: Jun 8, 2014 9:55 AM
CHENNAI: Two former top executives of Sun TV have deposed before a team of CBI sleuths from Delhi, which is investigating the case relating to the clandestine operation of a telephone exchange from former Union Telecom and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran’s house in Chennai for illegal transmission of data for Sun TV.
One of them, Hansraj Saxena, who was once Man Friday of Sun TV owner Kalanidhi Maran, is already singing. Saxena, aka Sax, was grilled for two days earlier too. On Saturday, he was interrogated for nearly 60 minutes in a small room in the BSNL office on Giri Road, which has been leased out to the CBI team camping in Chennai. “CBI has till now posed more than 100 queries and I have answered them,” said Saxena.
The other person who was summoned to visit the CBI’s interrogation chamber on Saturday was former Kalaignar TV managing director and a former senior executive of Sun Network, Sharad Kumar. Both Kumar and Saxena had fallen out with the Marans and had inglorious exits from Sun network.
In a candid acknowledgement, Saxena, who was the vice president in Sun TV Network in 2004, admitted to CBI that BSNL lines were indeed misused to transmit signals of the television channels of the network. He told The Sunday Standard that he did not want to lie anymore to the CBI. “Yes, it (the scam) has happened. After the entire ordeal I went through I don’t want to lie about anything. But it was somebody in the technical wing who sent the signals through the telephone exchange set up in Dayanidhi Maran’s house,” he said, adding that he was in the programming wing with no control over the technical wing.
The exclusive telephone exchange consisting of 323 high-speed telephone lines set up at Dayanidhi’s Boat Club residence in Chennai in 2006 was allegedly used to transmit high volume data to telecast Sun TV network’s programmes, causing huge losses to public sector telecom operator BSNL when Maran was the Union Minister for Telecom between 2004 and 2007 in the Congress-led UPA government.
The CBI unearthed the scam way back in 2007 and after an inquiry, submitted a report seeking government nod to proceed against Maran and BSNL officials who colluded. The report was gathering dust until 2013 when The New Indian Express exposed it, leading to a public outcry forcing the government to grant permission to the CBI to investigate the scam.
The CBI officials have been camping in the city for nearly a week and even several senior BSNL officials were interrogated. BSNL Employees Union, which raised the issue, has demanded disciplinary action against the erring officials and recovery of dues.
When The Sunday Standard tried to contact an investigating official, he refused to talk. A junior official said he could not comment on the issue. “We will be here for the next 10 days,” he said.
Saxena said on Saturday: “Unfortunately, it (the scam) took place during my tenure and I am no longer with the organisation. I am cooperating with the CBI officers. Somebody in the technical department has done it. If he is going to deny it, let them face the consequences. I have informed the CBI about who is aware about the technical things.”
He and Sharad Kumar, who arrived from New Delhi last night, were interrogated separately. Kumar was a bit nervous and refused to talk to reporters. “I am not going to say anything. They called me for clarification of certain things. I have given it. I am not in a position to talk about this,” Kumar said.
Saxena said: “I have been called again. Investigations are going on. I am not in a position to talk about it. Sharad and me were questioned separately.” Saxena said CBI should interrogate the technical department about this. “The questioning was only about this illegal exchange case and not anything else,” he said. Saxena’s ordeal does not end here. He said the CBI has told him that he will be summoned again.
The CBI has booked Dayanidhi Maran on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Cornered-by-CBI-Former-Sun-TV-Honchos-Start-Singing-on-Phone-Exchange-Scam/2014/06/08/article2268548.ece#
One of them, Hansraj Saxena, who was once Man Friday of Sun TV owner Kalanidhi Maran, is already singing. Saxena, aka Sax, was grilled for two days earlier too. On Saturday, he was interrogated for nearly 60 minutes in a small room in the BSNL office on Giri Road, which has been leased out to the CBI team camping in Chennai. “CBI has till now posed more than 100 queries and I have answered them,” said Saxena.
The other person who was summoned to visit the CBI’s interrogation chamber on Saturday was former Kalaignar TV managing director and a former senior executive of Sun Network, Sharad Kumar. Both Kumar and Saxena had fallen out with the Marans and had inglorious exits from Sun network.
In a candid acknowledgement, Saxena, who was the vice president in Sun TV Network in 2004, admitted to CBI that BSNL lines were indeed misused to transmit signals of the television channels of the network. He told The Sunday Standard that he did not want to lie anymore to the CBI. “Yes, it (the scam) has happened. After the entire ordeal I went through I don’t want to lie about anything. But it was somebody in the technical wing who sent the signals through the telephone exchange set up in Dayanidhi Maran’s house,” he said, adding that he was in the programming wing with no control over the technical wing.
The exclusive telephone exchange consisting of 323 high-speed telephone lines set up at Dayanidhi’s Boat Club residence in Chennai in 2006 was allegedly used to transmit high volume data to telecast Sun TV network’s programmes, causing huge losses to public sector telecom operator BSNL when Maran was the Union Minister for Telecom between 2004 and 2007 in the Congress-led UPA government.
The CBI unearthed the scam way back in 2007 and after an inquiry, submitted a report seeking government nod to proceed against Maran and BSNL officials who colluded. The report was gathering dust until 2013 when The New Indian Express exposed it, leading to a public outcry forcing the government to grant permission to the CBI to investigate the scam.
The CBI officials have been camping in the city for nearly a week and even several senior BSNL officials were interrogated. BSNL Employees Union, which raised the issue, has demanded disciplinary action against the erring officials and recovery of dues.
When The Sunday Standard tried to contact an investigating official, he refused to talk. A junior official said he could not comment on the issue. “We will be here for the next 10 days,” he said.
Saxena said on Saturday: “Unfortunately, it (the scam) took place during my tenure and I am no longer with the organisation. I am cooperating with the CBI officers. Somebody in the technical department has done it. If he is going to deny it, let them face the consequences. I have informed the CBI about who is aware about the technical things.”
He and Sharad Kumar, who arrived from New Delhi last night, were interrogated separately. Kumar was a bit nervous and refused to talk to reporters. “I am not going to say anything. They called me for clarification of certain things. I have given it. I am not in a position to talk about this,” Kumar said.
Saxena said: “I have been called again. Investigations are going on. I am not in a position to talk about it. Sharad and me were questioned separately.” Saxena said CBI should interrogate the technical department about this. “The questioning was only about this illegal exchange case and not anything else,” he said. Saxena’s ordeal does not end here. He said the CBI has told him that he will be summoned again.
The CBI has booked Dayanidhi Maran on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/Cornered-by-CBI-Former-Sun-TV-Honchos-Start-Singing-on-Phone-Exchange-Scam/2014/06/08/article2268548.ece#