The CBI today told the Supreme court that it has completed the domestic investigations into the Aircel-Maxis deal but the overseas probe was being delayed due to the influence of the firm's owner in Malaysia who is powerful politically. Letters Rogatory have been sent to complete the investigation about the deal in Malaysia and Mauritius .

The Supreme Court observed that the CBI probe into the allegations in Aircel-Maxis deal involving former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and a Malaysian business tycoon, prima facie indicates a nexus. A bench of justices GS Singhvi and KS Radhakrishnan, which perused two reports filed in a sealed cover by the CBI, said this.

Maran has been accused of forcing Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell the stake in Aircel to a Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006 owned by Kuala Lumpur-based business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan.

The agency submitted that overseas probe was important to track the money trail as the funds for the deal had come through Mauritius.

The CBI said some of the clarification and response on the evidence and whether prima facie case is made out in the deal as sought by the foreign countries, are unwarranted.After hearing the CBI, the bench said it wanted to see the investigation completed as early as possible so that it can start day-to-day hearing from January next year.