2G: Court to decide on Kanimozhi's bail plea

New Delhi: A Delhi court will decide on Saturday the bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini had on May 7 reserved his order on the bail applications of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar, MD and CEO of Kalaignar TV after hearing extensive arguments advanced by noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani who, citing the chargesheet, blamed former Telecom Minister A Raja for the offence attributed to the daughter of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi.

The special court, designated by the Supreme Court to deal exclusively with the 2G case, would decide the fate of 43-year-old Kanimozhi who has been accused of taking bribe of Rs 200 crores for Kalaignar TV from Shahid Usman Balwa's firm DB Realty.

The CBI has accused her of conspiring with Raja. She has also been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act for taking bribe through Kalaignar TV - a channel run by the ruling DMK - in which the bribe of the 2G scam was routed.

Kanimozhi and Kumar hold 20 per cent stake each in the Kalaignar TV while Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, who holds the remaining 60 percent share in the broadcasting channel, has been made a witness.

Kanimozhi appeared before the court on May 6 in compliance with the summons issued after she was named in the second chargesheet.

Pressing for Kanimozhi's bail, Jethmalani had sought to blame Raja and Sharad Kumar for the alleged offence saying she neither signed any documents nor handled affairs of the company.

"My misfortune is that I am Karunanidhi's daughter and an MP. I have 20 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV. Show me one overt act of mine which relates to the offence," he had said.

He had contended that apart from having 20 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV, she does not have any role in running its day-to-day affairs.

CBI opposed her bail plea saying her "complicity" in the alleged bribe given to Kalaignar TV in the 2G scam was clear.

"The transactions (of Rs 200 crore) are nothing but the transfer of bribe money to Kalaignar TV. Kumar alone cannot be held responsible when a family is having the controlling shares," special public prosecutor U U Lalit had argued.