CBI charge sheets Kanimozhi, 4 others in 2G scam

New Delhi, April 25: The CBI today (April 25) filed its second charge sheet in the 2G spectrum case naming Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter and MP Kanimozhi and four others as accused.

However, the CBI has not named Karunanidhi's wife Dayaluammal, whose name had figured in the 2G probe, as the accused in the supplementary charge sheet filed before Special judge O P Saini.

Others who have been charge sheeted along with Kanimozhi are Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa's cousin Asif Balwa, Rajeev Agarwal -- Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, and Karim Murani of Cineyug Films (Pvt) Ltd.

Kanimozhi has been charged with section 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The sections deal with acceptance of alleged gratification.

Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar and Murani have not been arrested by the CBI but Asif Balwa and Agarwal are in judicial custody.

The charge sheet said the investigation into the case disclosed that money had travelled from DB Realty to Kalaignar TV.

Kanimozhi, Dayaluammal and Sharad Kumar, Managing Director of Kalaignar TV, have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively.

The CBI told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Swan Telecom Promoter Shahid Usman Balwa to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd.

The agency which in the first charge sheet had said the money travelled through a "circuitous route" through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd, has maintained the position in the second charge sheet.

"Investigations have revealed that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Dynamix Realty, a partnership firm of DB Realty Ltd and other DB group companies, paid Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd during December 2008 to August 2009, following a circuitous route through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd (DB group holds 49 per cent equity in it)," CBI had said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.

The CBI, in its first charge sheet filed on April 2, had said former telecom minister A Raja conspired with top bureaucrats, including a retired IAS officer, and corporate honchos to cause a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in the allocation of 2G spectrum.

Besides Raja, the agency had named eight others and three telecom companies.

The agency had alleged former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's personal secretary R K Chandolia and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa and Sanjay Chandra, MD of Unitech wireless, entered into a conspiracy for manipulating the procedure for allocation of spectrum with the aim of favouring companies like Swan Telecom and Unitech.

Others named in the charge sheet include Vinod Goenka, a Director of Mumbai-based DB Realty, which was also the promoter of Etisalat DB, Sanjay Chandra, Managing Director of Gurgaon-based real estate company Unitech and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd and Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara, Group Managing Director and two Senior Vice Presidents of Mumbai-based Reliance ADAG.

The CBI had charged Raja with cheating, forgery and abuse of official position under the provisions of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act. All the nine accused, named in the first charge sheet, are presently in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

PTI