2G: Dayalu Ammal's statement to be recorded in Chennai

The Supreme Court Thursday directed the CBI special court hearing the 2G cases to appoint a commission to go to Chennai and record the statement of Dayalu Ammal, wife of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, as a prosecution witness.

An apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, gave this direction while taking note of a medical report that opined that Dayalu Ammal, 84, was not fit to travel.

The court's order came on the plea by Dayalu Ammal's daughter Selvi Geetha Kovilam.

The apex court was moved seeking exemption to Dayalu Ammal - one of the directors of the Kalaignar television - from appearing before the 2G court on grounds of poor health and inability to travel to Delhi.

She reportedly also suffers from Alzheimer's and amnesia. A team of doctors from AIIMS had examined her July 27 in Chennai.

Dayalu Ammal challenged the May 31 order of the CBI special court declining her plea for 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.

The matter relates to the receipt of Rs.200 crore by Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd, in which Dayalu Ammal owns 60 percent stake. The remaining stakes were shared equally by Karunanidhi's daughter (by another wife) Kanimozhi and channel CEO Sharad Kumar.

The Rs.200 crore received by Kalaignar TV is alleged to be a bribe from Dynamix Realty through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd, connected to Shahid Usman Balwa of Swan Telecom.

Former telecom minister A. Raja is also an accused in the case.

Though Karunanidhi's wife holds more than a majority stake in Kalaignar TV, the CBI has not termed her as an accused as she was just fulfilling a legal responsibility after delegating day-to-day operations to CEO Kumar.