Criminal conspiracy and corruption case against the former communications and IT minister Dayanadhi Maran will come up for hearing on September 11. The CBI has filed a 72-page charge sheet. It has also submitted 655 documents encased in nine sealed trunks and named 151 witnesses. According to the chargesheet, Maran received a bribe of Rs 600 crore.

The charge sheet that was filed in the court of special CBI judge OP Saini a couple of weeks back, also named four companies — including Kalanidhi-promoted Sun Direct TV and South-East Entertainment Holdings Ltd, and Malaysia’s Maxis Communications — as well as Malaysian national Ralph Marshall and former telecom secretary JS Sharma, who has since passed away, as accused.

Dayanidhi Maran — telecom minister from February 2004 to May 2007 — is accused of using his position to deny spectrum licences to Aircel, then owned by complainant Sivasankaran, hampering his business and finally forcing him to sell the company to Krishnan’s Maxis Communications in December 2006. Six months after the sale, the new venture was granted 2G licences.

For this favour, Krishnan paid the Marans Rs. 600 crore, disguised as investment in Sun Direct TV and SE Entertainment. It alleged the money was laundered through Astro All Asia Network Plc, also named in the charge sheet.