2G scam: Karunanidhi's wife questioned

Dayalu Ammal, mother of former DMK MP Kanimozhi, is prosecution witness in spectrum allocation case

The chief metropolitan magistrate  on Monday questioned Dayalu Ammal, 85, wife of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, for about four hours at her residence in Chennai on the 2G telecom spectrum allocation scam.

In its charge sheet filed in April 2011, CBI had earlier questioned the alleged routing of Rs 214 crore as illegal gratification. The agency had said the money had travelled through a “circuitous route” — through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables, a DB group company, and Cineyug Films to Kalaignar TV.

Sources said about 120 questions were asked during the session.

Dayalu Ammal, her stepdaughter and former DMK member of Parliament Kanimozhi, and former Kalignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar own 60, 20 and 20 per cent stake, respectively, in Kalaignar TV.

Sources said about 120 questions were asked during the four-hour questioning session on Monday. Ammal maintained she had no role in the functioning of Kalaignar TV. Ammal’s elder daughter Selvi Selvam, Kanimozhi and the lawyers of former telecom minister A Raja, Karim Morani (Bollywood producer), Shahid Balwa and Sharad Kumar were present during the deposition.

Sushil Kumar, the lawyer for Sharad Kumar, said, “Evidence recording is over. Her answers were accepted by the court.”

Public prosecutor K K Goel told reporters, “All evidence has been recorded in the case; the court is seized of the matter. Dayalu Ammal was cooperative.” He refused to divulge the details.

Ammal did not appear before the court in New Delhi, owing to ill health. According to reports, Ammal is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and has been undergoing treatment for about a year.

The Supreme Court had directed the director of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences to constitute a board to examine whether Ammal was medically fit to depose as witness before the special CBI court in the 2G scam case. On August 22, the court refused to exempt Ammal from deposing as a witness. It, however, directed she be examined in Chennai.

Last week, CBI served summons to Dayalu Ammal in this regard. On August 14, the apex court had questioned CMM M Gopal over the delay in recording Ammal’s statement. The court said this might prolong the trial in the case.

According to reports, CBI didn’t name Ammal as an accused in the case. Owing to her advanced age and “non-understanding” of any language other than Tamil, she was only fulfilling the legal requirements of Kalaignar TV, in which she was one of the directors, the agency had said, adding she had delegated powers to Sharad Kumar to run the company.