Bail pleas of Dayanidhi Maran's aides dismissed in illegal telephone exchange case

CHENNAI: A CBI court today dismissed the bail petitions of three persons, including V Gowthaman, former Additional Private Secretary of Dayanidhi Maran, who were arrested in the illegal telephone exchange case.

"The investigation is at a crucial stage and the accused are influential persons and there is every possibility of tampering with the evidence if they are let on bail," Special Judge for CBI cases Krishnamoorthy said in his order.

The judge dismissed the bail pleas of Gowthaman, and two Sun TV officials S Kannan and KS Ravi who were arrested on January 21 in connection with alleged allotment of more than 300 high-speed telephone lines to the former Telecom Minister's residence in Chennai which were extended to his brother's TV channel.

The court had yesterday dismissed CBI's petition seeking custodial interrogation of the three persons, while reserving orders on their bail pleas for today