2G money laundering case: Court grants bail to Dayalu Ammal

A special court Wednesday granted bail to DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal in a money laundering case relating to the allocation of 2G spectrum.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini granted bail to Ammal and asked her to furnish a personal bond of Rs.5 lakh and two sureties of the same amount.

However, the court dismissed her plea seeking discharge in the case.

The court said it will pass orders post lunch Wednesday on the bail pleas of former telecom minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others.

Raja, Kanimozhi, Swan telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd. (KFVPL) directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar and P. Amirthan have been chargesheeted by the ED in the case.

The companies named in the case are Swan Telecom Pvt. Ltd. (STPL), Kusegaon Realty Pvt. Ltd., Cineyug Media and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (Cineyug Films), Kalaignar TV (KTV) Pvt. Ltd., Dynamix Realty, Eversmile Construction Company Private Limited, Conwood Construction and Developers (P) Ltd., DB Realty Ltd. and Nihar Construction Pvt. Ltd.

The accused have been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"The investigation revealed that an amount of Rs.200 crore was paid by promoters of STPL, using their group entity Dynamix Realty, to KTV, through KFVPL and CFPL (Cineyug Films) in the garb of legitimate financial transaction, that is as loan/share application money," the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said in the chargesheet.

It has said the payment was illegal gratification for and on behalf of Raja and his associates in lieu of illegal favours given to the STPL for grant of UAS licence.

The ED has further added that investigation has revealed that the return of Rs.200 crore has been done along with the additional amount in order to show this illegal payment in the guise of legal and bona fide financial transactions.