By NewsGram Staff Writer

Former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran has been given a week's time by the Supreme Court – two member bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice V. Gopala Gowda – to respond to the CBI's plea for his custodial interrogation. The investigation holds Maran responsible for using the telephone exchange installed at his Chennai residence for the family-owned Sun TV's benefit.

The court directed the listing of the matter on October 1 as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought the date telling the court that Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was leading the investigating agency's case before the bench and requested for next hearing on that date.

On the last date of the hearing of the matter on August 12, the apex court, while staying the Madras High Court order cancelling Maran's anticipatory bail, asked if any political vendetta was in play for the CBI seeking his custody for interrogation.

The court, which had then chided the CBI for doing nothing for over two years since 2013 when the case was registered, is now pressing for Maran's custody.

Maran's custody is indispensable to digging up the conspiracy between Sun TV, BSNL officials and the former communications minister, says the CBI and further states it to be a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

(With inputs from IANS)