Aircel-Maxis deal: Suneeta Reddy of Apollo questioned by CBI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) has questioned Executive Director of Apollo Hospital
Suneeta Reddy on the alleged role of former Indian Telecom
Minister Dayanidhi Maran in the takeover of Aircel by
Malaysian group Maxis.
The agency is probing the allocation of spectrum during
2001-07 and it has questioned Maran, his brother Kalanidhi and
top executive of Maxis group Ralph Marshall as former Aircel
Chief C Shivasankaran had alleged he was forced by the
minister to sell his stake.
Reddy was asked to clarify her interests in Aircel,
agency sources said. Reddy had held the position of
Chairperson of Aircel in 2005, according to annual reports of
the group for the fiscal ending March 31, 2006.
Maxis Communications has 74 per cent share in the Aircel
while 26 per cent is owned by Sindya Securities and
Investments, according to Aircel web site.
Reddy family is said to be stakeholders in Sindya
Securities and Investments and its promoters, sources said.
According to annual report of the Apollo group for
2009-10, Suneeta Reddy's profile mentioned that she held
external directorship in Aircel as well as Sindya Securities
and Investments limited.
The Apollo Hospitals in a statement said,"Apollo
Hospitals Group and its Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy do not
have any investment in Aircel or any other telecom company."
"The Sindya Securities and Investments Pvt Ltd promoted
by Mr P Dwarakanath Reddy and Mrs Suneeta Reddy have
investments in Aircel entity and this is a strategic
investment in telecom sector, which was a growing business
opportunity,"The group said in its statement that the investments of
Sindya Securities and Investments Pvt Ltd in Aircel Ltd have
been in compliance with applicable laws of India and all
regulatory consents/approvals, wherever required, have been
sought and duly granted by the relevant authorities.
Maran is alleged to have granted 14 licences to Dishnet
Wireless (Aircel) during his tenure as Telecom minister.
It has been alleged by Sivasankaran that Maran favoured
Maxis-group in the takeover of his company and in return
investments were made by the company through Astro network in
Sun TV owned by Maran family.
The CBI in its recent status report to the Supreme Court
had said that during Maran's tenure there was "deliberate
delay" to provide letter of intent to Sivasankaran.
The agency had said after Aircel was sold to Maxis
investments were made by the Malaysian firm into the family
business of Marans.
The allegations were denied by Marans.
Former aides of Maran had reportedly told CBI that the
processing of the files of Sivasankaran was delayed allegedly
at the direction of the minister, agency sources claimed.
CBI is looking into financial transactions of Sun TV and
Maxis. Besides, it is also looking into various aspects of
takeover of Aircel by Maxis group, the sources said.
The probe agency has already registered a preliminary
enquiry on issues in 2G spectrum allocation between 2001-07.
the statement said.