Court seeks ED's response in 2G money-laundering case

A special court today sought the reply of Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the pleas of four accused firms facing trial in the 2G scam-related money laundering case, seeking acquittal on the ground that the prosecution has failed to bring any evidence against them.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini issued notice to the ED and sought its reply by March 16 on the pleas of the four accused companies -- DB Realty, Nihar Construction Pvt Ltd, Conwood Construction and Developers Pvt Ltd and Eversmile Construction Co Pvt Ltd.
These firms are facing trial in the case along with 15 other accused, including former Telecom Minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi.

The four companies, through their counsel Vijay Aggarwal, had filed the applications saying there was no evidence that they were involved in any money transaction.
The firms, in their pleas, had contended that no evidence against them had emerged in the examination of prosecution witnesses, including officials of the ED.
Aggarwal had contended that in the money laundering case, records and evidences showed that there were no links between "assets of the applicant" and the so-called "proceeds of crime".
The court had yesterday supplied a questionnaire of 400 queries to all the 19 accused for recording of their statements in the case, which will commence from March 16.

On October 31 last year, the court had framed charges under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under the provision of the Prevention Money Laundering Act against the accused, including Raja, Kanimozhi, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal among others, and nine companies.