Asking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to explain where Rs 200 crore, allegedly diverted to DMK-owned Kalaignar TV in 2G scam, has gone, the Supreme Court on Monday sought the probe agency’s response on DMK MP Kanimozhi’s bail plea in the case.
A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar, while terming corruption as the worst form of human rights violation, asked CBI to come out with a status report on the loss to the state exchequer due to the award of 13 licences to one of the telecom operators and trial proceedings in the CBI special court.
The court granted a week’s time to CBI to file its response on the three issues and the bail pleas of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar, MD of Kalaignar TV. Kanimozhi and Kumar, named as accused in the second charge sheet for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 200 crore, were arrested on May 20 after the special court dismissed their bail pleas in the case.
Both Kanimozhi and Kumar have 20 per cent stake each in Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd which allegedly received Rs 200 crore through a “circuitous” route from Shahid Balwa promoted DB Realty.
Senior counsel Altaf Ahmed and Sushil Kumar Jain, appearing for Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar during the brief arguments, submitted the accused were not recipients of spectrum and had merely taken a loan of Rs 200 crore which has been returned. The argument, however, failed convince the bench which pointed that the charge sheet clearly stated that the so-called amount was not part of a legal transaction.
Kanimozhi, the 43-year-old daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, and Kumar have approached the Supreme Court against the order of Delhi High Court and the trial court which had refused to grant them bail in 2G case. The high court had on June 8 dismissed their pleas after observing that they have strong political connections and there was a possibility of their influencing witnesses.