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A day after the Maran brothers - Kalanithi Maran and Dayanidhi Maran - promoted Kal Cables Pvt Ltd got a breather from the Madras
High Court, fresh trouble has started for them as well as for their direct-to-home (DTH)
business.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday filed a charge sheet in a Delhi court against the Maran brothers and Sun Direct TV, the company which offers DTH service to around nine million subscribers.
The charge sheet, booking them for criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the Aircel-Maxis deal, was filed before special CBI Judge O.P. Saini, who will hear the matter Sep 11.
The matter relates to sale of mobile telephony operator Aircel to Maxis, owned by T. Ananda
Krishnan, in 2006 wherein Aircel's original owner C. Sivasankaran had alleged that he was pressured to sell as his firm was denied
licences.
The CBI has alleged quid pro quo saying that in return, the Malaysian company invested
around Rs.650 crore in Sun Direct, owned by the Maran family.
According to the website of Sun Direct, a joint venture between the Sun TV group and Malaysia's Maxis group, it has over nine million subscribers and started operations in 2007.
While the DTH subscribers may not face service disconnection, the lakhs of households here who have taken connection from the local cable operators affiliated to Kal Cables are facing the prospect of their TVs going blank.
Firstly the information and broadcasting ministry had cancelled the MSO licence given
to Kal Cables Aug 20. The company was one of the 17 MSOs so dealt with. The central government had ordered Kal Cables to run a scroll informing the subscribers that
its service would be cut in 15 days time.
The Madras High Court Thursday however allowed Kal Cables not to run that scroll while
posting the case for Sep 2.
According to the ministry, the licence to Kal Cables was cancelled as the home ministry denied security clearance to the company.
The company was given licence to operate in Chennai in 2012 and a provisional licence to operate in other parts of Tamil Nadu in 2013.
The central government, which did not give any reason for the home ministry's refusal to grant the security clearance, is expected to
submit this to the court.
Officials of Kal Cables were not available for comments when contacted by IANS.According to P.Shakilan of Tamizhaga Cable Operators Association, the Chennai city has around 40 lakh satellite channel subscriber
base."Of that 10 lakh will be direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers and 30 lakh cable TV subscribers,"
Shakilan told IANS.Out of the 30 lakh cable TV subscribers, nearly
15 lakh will be with Kal Cables and the balance shared by other MSOs like TCCL and others.
Sun TV group's TV transmission business in a fix | Business Standard News
High Court, fresh trouble has started for them as well as for their direct-to-home (DTH)
business.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday filed a charge sheet in a Delhi court against the Maran brothers and Sun Direct TV, the company which offers DTH service to around nine million subscribers.
The charge sheet, booking them for criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the Aircel-Maxis deal, was filed before special CBI Judge O.P. Saini, who will hear the matter Sep 11.
The matter relates to sale of mobile telephony operator Aircel to Maxis, owned by T. Ananda
Krishnan, in 2006 wherein Aircel's original owner C. Sivasankaran had alleged that he was pressured to sell as his firm was denied
licences.
The CBI has alleged quid pro quo saying that in return, the Malaysian company invested
around Rs.650 crore in Sun Direct, owned by the Maran family.
According to the website of Sun Direct, a joint venture between the Sun TV group and Malaysia's Maxis group, it has over nine million subscribers and started operations in 2007.
While the DTH subscribers may not face service disconnection, the lakhs of households here who have taken connection from the local cable operators affiliated to Kal Cables are facing the prospect of their TVs going blank.
Firstly the information and broadcasting ministry had cancelled the MSO licence given
to Kal Cables Aug 20. The company was one of the 17 MSOs so dealt with. The central government had ordered Kal Cables to run a scroll informing the subscribers that
its service would be cut in 15 days time.
The Madras High Court Thursday however allowed Kal Cables not to run that scroll while
posting the case for Sep 2.
According to the ministry, the licence to Kal Cables was cancelled as the home ministry denied security clearance to the company.
The company was given licence to operate in Chennai in 2012 and a provisional licence to operate in other parts of Tamil Nadu in 2013.
The central government, which did not give any reason for the home ministry's refusal to grant the security clearance, is expected to
submit this to the court.
Officials of Kal Cables were not available for comments when contacted by IANS.According to P.Shakilan of Tamizhaga Cable Operators Association, the Chennai city has around 40 lakh satellite channel subscriber
base."Of that 10 lakh will be direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers and 30 lakh cable TV subscribers,"
Shakilan told IANS.Out of the 30 lakh cable TV subscribers, nearly
15 lakh will be with Kal Cables and the balance shared by other MSOs like TCCL and others.
Sun TV group's TV transmission business in a fix | Business Standard News
