Madras HC disposes of pleas against framing of charges against Marans

The Madras High Court Tuesday

disposed of a petition challenging a special CBI court order fixing Wednesday for framing of charges in a case of setting up of "illegal" telephone exchanges by former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others.

Justice Anand Venkatesh rejected the contention of three of the accused and made it clear that at the time of framing charges, the trial court only needs to give the available material to the accused persons and there was no requirement to hear the counsel on the sufficiency of the materials.

He was disposing of the petition filed by Vedagiri Gowthaman, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary, S Kannan, and K S Ravi, who are among the seven accused, seeking to quash Monday's order of Additional Judge for CBI cases fixing Wednesday for framing charges.

"There is no such procedure contemplated under Sections 239 and 240 of CrPC that the trial court has to hear the counsel on the sufficiency of the materials for .