2G case: SC to hear Dayalu Ammal's plea for exemption from appearance

The Supreme Court said it would hear Tuesday the plea of Dayalu Ammal, the wife of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, seeking exemption from deposing before the special CBI court trying the case involving irregularities in allocation of 2G licences and spectrum.

A key prosecution witness in the case, Dayalu Ammal is one of the directors of Kalaignar television. She has sought exemption from appearing and deposing before the trial court on grounds of her old age and ailments.

A bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J. Chelamewar Monday said it would hear Dayalu Ammal's plea Tuesday after senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court that petitioner was 84 years old and was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and amnesia.

Singhvi told the court that a medical board could be constituted to determine the state of her health.

The court was also told that on account of Dayalu Ammal's advanced age and ailments, she could not even travel by air to come to Delhi from Chennai.

Dayalu Ammal moved the apex court after Delhi High Court Thursday asked her to move the apex court seeking relief of being exempted from deposing before the special CBI court trying the 2G case.

The high court's decision came after the maintainability of her plea was challenged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which told the court that except for the apex court, no other court could hear pleas against the trial court's orders in 2G cases.

Dayalu Ammal has challenged the May 31, 2013, order of the special CBI court declining her plea from exemption from appearing before it to depose as prosecution witness. The trial court had asked Dayalu Ammal to appear before it to depose July 8.