A special court today fixed September 23 for hearing arguments on framing of charges in a 2G scam-related money laundering case in which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a charge sheet against 19 accused, including former Telecom Minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who was scheduled to hear the case today, deferred it till September 23 after ED's Special Prosecutor N K Matta said that the agency be granted two days time to prepare the arguments on account of fresh appointment of Special Public Prosecutor Anand Grover.
"Put up the matter for arguments on charge as well as arguments on the miscellaneous application filed by Nihar Constructions (P) Limited/Mystical Constructions (P) Limited (accused in the case) on September 23," the judge said.
The court had on August 20 granted bail to Raja, Kanimozhi and eight others in the case, saying that considering their conduct, there was "no likelihood" that they will commit such an offence again.
The court had also noted in its order that the accused have given an explanation regarding transfer of Rs 200 crore to DMK-run Kalaignar TV from DB group company, which according to the ED was a bribe paid in return for grant of 2G licences to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd.
The court, in a separate order, had also granted bail to DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, who was also chargesheeted as an accused along with others in the case in which ED had alleged that Rs 200 crore transaction was "not genuine" and it was a "bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies".
It had also exempted her from personal appearance before it in the case till further orders.
Besides Raja, Kanimozhi and Dayalu, the other accused in the case are Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Bollywood producer Karim Morani and P Amirtham.
They were also granted bail by the court which had imposed several conditions on them.
