DMK to decide course of action tomorrow.
In a sign things are moving fast in the two most high-profile corruption cases of recent times, Kanimozhi, the daughter of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi, was on Monday named a co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum scam.
In a separate development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the chief of the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi. CBI alleges irregularities in award of contract for the timing-scoring-result system used in the Games.
In the 2G scam, the supplementary charge sheet filed on Monday alleged that Kanimozhi, a member of Parliamant, acted in concert with former telecom minister A Raja as a conduit to transfer a Rs 214-crore kickback to Kalaignar TV, in which she has a 20 per cent stake. The managing director of the company, Sharath Kumar, who holds a 20 per cent stake, has also been named.
The scam involves irregularities in award of telecom licences and spectrum in 2008.
Interestingly, Dayalu Ammal, Karunanidhi’s second wife, who holds 60 per cent in Kalaignar TV, has not been named. CBI said she did not sign any document related to the deals of Kalaignar TV and was not involved in the channel’s day-to-day functioning.
| UNDER THE SCANNER |
| * Kanimozhi: Accused of acting in concert with A Raja for transfer of Rs 214 crore to Kalaignar TV |
| * Sharath Kumar: A 20 per cent shareholder in Kalaignar TV |
| * Asif Balwa: Swan promoter Shahid Balwa’s cousin. Swan is accused of paying kickbacks for telecom licences |
| * Rajiv Agarwal (of Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables): Accused of helping route the money to Kalaignar TV |
| * Karim Morani (of Cineyug): Allegedly played a role in routing the bribe money |
CBI alleged the money travelled from a company called Swam Telecom via a “circuitous route” through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company, and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd. DB Realty promoter Shahid Balwa, also the promoter of Swan, is already in jail. He is charged with getting telecom licences and spectrum by paying money to Kalaignar TV.
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Those chargesheeted also include Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal of Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables, and Karim Morani of Cineyug. Asif is Swan promoter Shahid Balwa’s cousin. Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal are already in judicial custody. Morani is the promoter of Cineyug Films and was a signatory to all the agreements and bank instruments in respect of the aforesaid transactions.
While Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal have been summoned to the CBI special court tomorrow, Karim Morani, Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar have been called on May 6.
CBI also slapped additional charges against Raja, Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka for receiving illegal gratification and bribery.
The charge sheet also said that Kalaignar TV started to refund the money right after Raja was called for questioning. “A substantial part of the amount was refunded by it just before and after February 2, when accused Raja was arrested by CBI in this case,” the charge sheet said.
All eyes are now on Karunanidhi. DMK, with 18 MPs, is an ally of the United Progressive Alliance. Six of its MPs are ministers at the Centre. While Congress sources ruled out any danger to the government, saying DMK’s enlightened self-interest would prevail, they also said that with Dayalu Ammal, Kanimozhi’s stepmother, not named, Kanimozhi would be isolated within the DMK family.
DMK has convened a high-level meeting on Wednesday to decide its course of action.
DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan said despite submitting proof for the Rs 200 crore loan and its repayment, CBI interrogated Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Sharad Kumar.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats. DMK has contested just 118. Unless it wins all the seats, which is unlikely, it will need the Congress if it is to take a shot at forming a government in Chennai.
This is why it is loath to precipitate matters by taking steps like pulling ministers out of the government. If DMK loses, there is all the more reason for it to keep its ministers in the government. “I don’t think DMK will take any step before the results are out. If it has to form a government in Tamil Nadu, it will certainly require our help and Karunanidhi knows this,” said a senior Congress minister.
Top Congress leaders said neither the party nor the government could intervene in a matter that was being monitored by the Supreme Court and this had been communicated to Karunanidhi. They also said the Congress would put no pressure on DMK. However, If DMK acted emotionally, it was another matter and the Congress would have to review its options, they said.
Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said the UPA government had acted in character and not impeded the legal process. Now, it was for the Bharatiya Janata Party to think if it should take action against the Reddy brothers, the Karnataka chief minister and others in the illegal mining scam, he said.