Sun TV moves Supreme Court against attachment of property

Kalanidhi Maran-controlled Sun TV Network on Thursday moved the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging attachment of its assets worth Rs 742 crore on money laundering charges by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, however, refused to stay the attachment order as of now but said that it would pass appropriate orders when the case comes up for consideration before it. The matter was mentioned by senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who sought early hearing in the matter.

He said there was an urgency in the matter as the authorities would be hearing the case on July 7 and may approve the attachment orders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Activities Act.

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Sun TV has challenged last month’s order of the Madras high court that refused to entertain its petition for staying the attachment orders. The HC had said that since it was in connection with the 2G spectrum case, only the Supreme Court can hear it. The apex court had in 2011 restrained other courts from entertaining any petition and passing any orders which might impede the ongoing investigation by the CBI and ED.

Sun TV says that the case does not fall within the ambit of the 2G case and the properties attached by the ED were not connected with the alleged offence and were purchased before this offence was committed.

The ED had on March 31 issued an order to attach assets worth R742.6 crore belonging to former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, brother Kalanithi Maran and the latter’s wife, Kaveri Kalanithi, in the Aircel-Maxis case.

The properties attached include Kalanithi Maran’s shares worth R139 crore in Sun Direct TV, freehold land and building owned by Sun Network worthR266 crore, land and building owned by Kal Comm worth R171.55 crore, a fixed deposit held by Kalanithi Maran of R100 crore, an FD held by South Asia FM worth R31.34 crore, FDs held by Dayanidhi Maran and others worth R7.47 crore, and FDs and mutual funds held by Kaveri Kalanithi worth R1.30 crore and R1.78 crore each.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet against the Maran brothers in 2011.

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