News Headline
MIB seeks Home Ministry reply on Sun TV case; SC to hear 2G case against Marans on 25 July
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has sought a detailed report from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the reasons for denial of security clearance to Sun TV Network channels.
Noting that the reasons given by the MHA in an earlier communication were vague, an MIB official said that it would need to know full details in the event of Sun TV moving the courts on the issue.
The MIB had earlier written to the Home Ministry seeking the reasons for denial of security clearance to the Sun TV network promoted by Kalanithi Maran and his brother Dayanidhi Maran against whom other cases are also pending. However, the official said that the reply was vague and hence more details had been sought in view of a possible challenge in court.
The MHA had rejected the opinion of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that security clearance can be granted as agencies are probing cases related to corruption and not security. Hence, he said, corruption cases cannot be the ground to deny security clearance. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is also learnt to have told the two ministries to sort this out among themselves.
Meanwhile, on 25 July the Supreme Court will hear the petition of Sun TV whose assets are threatened to be attached in the 2G-related scam.
Chief Justice H L Dattu, while hearing the petition, asked the specially appointed prosecutor in the scam not to proceed against the firm till then.
Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the beleaguered firm of the Marans, sought injunction against attachment, stating that Rs 14,000 crore worth of assets are involved.
The Chief Justice accepted his argument that only the Supreme Court Bench monitoring the 2G affairs was competent to hear the case.
