New Delhi: A special court hearing the Aircel-Maxis case on Saturday issued arrest warrants against Malaysian businessmen, including T Ananda Krishnan.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini issued non-bailable warrant against Krishnan and Ralph Marshall, allowing the plea of the probe agency seeking an arrest warrant against them as they failed to turn up before the court despite repeated summons.
“It is ordered that the trial of the appearing accused, that is, Dayanidhi Maran, Kalanithi Maran, Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd and South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd be segregated from the trial of accused Ralph Marshall, T Ananda Krishnan, Astro All Asia Networks, Maxis Communications Berhad,” the court said.
“Accordingly miscellaneous file be opened relating to these four accused who are yet to be served.”
“It is further ordered that an open and perpetual warrant of arrest be issued against Marshall and Krishnan, as prayed by the prosecution,” the court said.
Krishnan, Marshall and two accused firms – Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Astro All Asia Networks – were first summoned by the court on October 29, 2014. Later, the court issued fresh summons thrice on March 2 2015, August 3, 2015, and December 7, 2015, against the four accused persons but they did not appear before the court.
The CBI had submitted that the service reports regarding summons issued against four Malaysia-based accused are still awaited.
“In view of the said facts, it is apparent that adequate time may be consumed for getting the service of summons executed on the absent accused persons,” the CBI said in its application.-IANS
