NEW Delhi, April 25 (Agencies): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday named five more people, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, co-accused in the case involving the award of second generation (2G) phone spectrum. The supplementary chargesheet, the second thus far, filed by the premier probe agency in a special court here also names as co-accused Sharad Kumar of Kalaignar TV, Karim Morani of Cineyug Films, Asif Balwa and Rajiv B Agarwal of Kusegaon Realty. “I don’t want to comment now,” Kanimozhi told IANS in Chennai.
Dayalu Ammal, wife of Karunanidhi and stepmother of Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, does not figure in the charges filed Monday as speculated by a section of the media. Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Kumar have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively. The CBI had earlier told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Balwa to Kalaignar TV. The agency 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. “Investigations have also 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 said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.
The probe agency had first named as accused former communications minister A. Raja, his personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa. Later, five more corporate executives were added to the list as co-accused -- Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, Sanjay Chandra of Unitech and three officials of Anil Ambani Group: Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara. All nine are in judicial custody. The case involves award of telecom spectrum to private players, which the investigative agency says was done in a fraudulent manner, causing losses worth billions of rupees to the exchequer.
The case had taken a serious turn after Raja, a leader of the DMK, resigned Nov 14 as communications minister. This was after the official auditor held that his policy on spectrum allocation had led to a loss of several billion dollars to the exchequer. While the former minister was arrested by the probe agency in the national capital on February 2, along with Behura and Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoter Balwa was arrested from Pune on February 8. Raja, his aide and officials from the Department of Telecom (DoT) face charges for their roles in awarding radio frequency. The former minister also faces charges of forgery, while Chandolia and Behura have been accused of misusing their official positions.
Dayalu Ammal, wife of Karunanidhi and stepmother of Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, does not figure in the charges filed Monday as speculated by a section of the media. Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Kumar have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively. The CBI had earlier told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Balwa to Kalaignar TV. The agency 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. “Investigations have also 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 said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.
The probe agency had first named as accused former communications minister A. Raja, his personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa. Later, five more corporate executives were added to the list as co-accused -- Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, Sanjay Chandra of Unitech and three officials of Anil Ambani Group: Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara. All nine are in judicial custody. The case involves award of telecom spectrum to private players, which the investigative agency says was done in a fraudulent manner, causing losses worth billions of rupees to the exchequer.
The case had taken a serious turn after Raja, a leader of the DMK, resigned Nov 14 as communications minister. This was after the official auditor held that his policy on spectrum allocation had led to a loss of several billion dollars to the exchequer. While the former minister was arrested by the probe agency in the national capital on February 2, along with Behura and Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoter Balwa was arrested from Pune on February 8. Raja, his aide and officials from the Department of Telecom (DoT) face charges for their roles in awarding radio frequency. The former minister also faces charges of forgery, while Chandolia and Behura have been accused of misusing their official positions.
No threat to UPA govt after CBI names Kanimozhi: Congress
New Delhi, April 25 (PTI): Congress today dismissed any threat to the UPA coalition in the wake of DMK MP Kanimozhi being made an accused in the second-generation mobile telephony spectrum allocation case suggesting that the government had ‘no role, no control’ over CBI investigation. “The government is fully stable. Since 2004 when UPA came to power, there have been illusions about its instability and some people have reached the evening of their lives under such an illusion”, party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters.
Replying to a volley of questions on the issue, Tewari suggested the government has neither any role nor any control over the developments taking place in the investigations taking place in 2G spectrum scam. “Do you think in the Supreme Court-monitored investigation, CBI would have done anything but as per facts of the matter?” “The draft charge sheet is also being scrutinised by the Supreme Court and the (appointment of the) public prosecutor is also being scrutinised by the court. With such stringent monitoring, could CBI have deviated even an iota from the fact,” asked Tewari.
Tewari was speaking to reporters hours after the DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi evaded questions about DMK planning to quit the UPA government after his daughter Kanimozhi was named by CBI in the 2G case. DMK is the third largest constitutent of UPA after Congress and Trinamool Congress and has 18 members in the Lok Sabha.
Replying to a volley of questions on the issue, Tewari suggested the government has neither any role nor any control over the developments taking place in the investigations taking place in 2G spectrum scam. “Do you think in the Supreme Court-monitored investigation, CBI would have done anything but as per facts of the matter?” “The draft charge sheet is also being scrutinised by the Supreme Court and the (appointment of the) public prosecutor is also being scrutinised by the court. With such stringent monitoring, could CBI have deviated even an iota from the fact,” asked Tewari.
Tewari was speaking to reporters hours after the DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi evaded questions about DMK planning to quit the UPA government after his daughter Kanimozhi was named by CBI in the 2G case. DMK is the third largest constitutent of UPA after Congress and Trinamool Congress and has 18 members in the Lok Sabha.
DMK still ally? PC says ‘no comment’
Kolkata, April 25 (agencies): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today declined to comment on the possibility of the DMK pulling out of the UPA government in the aftermath of the second chargesheet filed by the CBI in the 2G spectrum scam. “I would not like to comment on presumptions,” Chidambaram told reporters here before the CBI named M Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi as accused in the chargesheet.
The Home Minister was asked whether the DMK would quit the Union Cabinet if Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s family members were named by CBI in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. In Chennai, Karunanidhi also evaded questions about DMK planning to quit the Union Cabinet if his family members were named in the chargesheet.
Kolkata, April 25 (agencies): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today declined to comment on the possibility of the DMK pulling out of the UPA government in the aftermath of the second chargesheet filed by the CBI in the 2G spectrum scam. “I would not like to comment on presumptions,” Chidambaram told reporters here before the CBI named M Karunanidhi’s daughter and MP Kanimozhi as accused in the chargesheet.
The Home Minister was asked whether the DMK would quit the Union Cabinet if Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s family members were named by CBI in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. In Chennai, Karunanidhi also evaded questions about DMK planning to quit the Union Cabinet if his family members were named in the chargesheet.
