2G case: Karunanidhi's daughter to depose against stepsister Kanimozhi, mother

NEW DELHI: DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's daughter S Selvi would depose as a prosecution witness against her mother Dayalu Ammal and stepsister DMK MP Kanimozhi in a 2G scam-related money laundering case as Ammal and Kanimozhi along with 17 others are facing trial in the case. A trial court was informed of the development by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday which said it has named 30 persons including Selvi as prosecution witnesses in the case.The court had recently framed charges against ex-telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and 16 others, including nine companies, under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the case
Besides Selvi, ED has named as witnesses its deputy director Rajeshwar Singh, assistant directors Satyendra Singh and Kamal Singh, who are investigating officers in the case. ED's joint director Himanshu Kumar Lal, the complainant in the case, have also been arrayed as prosecution witnesses. Apart from these, of Raja's former additional private secretary Aseervartham Achary, the then deputy director general of Department of Telecommunications AK Srivastava and others will also depose as ED witnesses in the case.
Special CBI Judge OP Saini has fixed November 17 for commencement of trial in the case when statement of Himanshu Kumar Lal is likely to be recorded. On October 31, the court had put on trial the 19 accused — 10 individuals and nine companies — under the provisions of PMLA after they had pleaded not guilty and said that they will go on trial for the charges against them. The court had framed charges against the accused, saying that Raja was in "connivance" with Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and other co-accused in "parking" of illegal gratification of around Rs 200 crore in DMK-run Kalaignar TV. If convicted, Raja and others will face a maximum sentence of upto seven years.

Kanimozhi (TOI file photo)
ED, in its chargesheet, had alleged that all the accused were involved in the Rs 200-crore money transaction which was "not bonafide" and it was a "bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies" by Raja. This is the second case in the 2G spectrum allocation scam in which Raja, Kanimozhi and others, including Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, will face trial for their alleged involvement in the scam. In the first case probed by CBI, Raja, Kanimozhi, Shahid Balwa, Goenka, Asif Balwa, Rajiv Agarwal, Morani and Sharad Kumar, along with nine others, are facing trial for criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, cheating and other offences punishable under the provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.