Maran aide: CBI plea dismissed

A special court here declined to remand an aide of former Union Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and two others in a case relating to allegations of misuse of telephones lines. Judge J Krishnamoorthy observed that sufficient grounds were not mentioned in the affidavit filed by the CBI seeking their custody, said RC Paul Kanagaraj, who represented one of the accused. On January 21, the CBI arrested V Gowthaman, former additional private secretary to Maran, and two Sun TV employees for allegedly aiding and abetting the laying of BSNL telephone lines to Maran’s residence here. The judge will pass orders on the bail pleas of the three tomorrow.