2G money laundering case: Raja, Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal get bail

A special court here Wednesday granted bail to former telecom minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, ADMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal and others in a money laundering case related to the allocation of 2G spectrum.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini allowed the bail pleas of Raja, Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal, 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, Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar and P. Amirthan, who were chargesheeted by the ED in the case.

The court granted bail to all of the accused and asked them to furnish a personal bond of Rs.5 lakh and two sureties of the same amount each.

However, the court dismissed Ammal's plea seeking discharge in the case. The court granted her bail observing that she is a woman, aged and infirm, suffering from various age-related diseases and as such presently unable to make an appearance in court despite being desirous of it, which is indicated by the presence of a battery of lawyers on her behalf.

The court observed that Raja and Kanimozhi are appearing before it regularly for the last three years. It added that they have cooperated with the trial.

"There is no possibility of accused fleeing from justice or tampering with any evidence or witness and there is no likelihood of accused committing the offence again," said the court.

It viewed that sending them in custody again would serve no purpose in the eyes of law.

The court directed the nine accused to appear before it on each date of hearing and surrender their passports, while allowing Ammal's plea for permanently exemption from personal appearance on account of her sickness.

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).