CBI names Kanimozhi as co-conspirator in 2G scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation, in its second chargesheet filed on Monday, named Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi and several others for allegedly getting benefits out of the allocation of 2G spectrum to certain telecom firms.

Kanimozhi has been formally accused of being a co-conspirator with A Raja in the 2G scam. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, however, has been left out.

The chargesheet filed in the court of Special CBI Judge O P Saini gave details as to how over Rs 200 crore was illegally routed by jailed former Telecom Minister A Raja, his slain aide Sadiq Batcha and Shahid Usman Balwa, the former managing director of DB Realty to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-owned Kalaignar TV, jointly owned by Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Sharad Kumar.

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Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Kumar, managing director of the TV, have 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel respectively.

The CBI had earlier told the court that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G spectrum scam had travelled from a partnership firm of Balwa to Kalaignar TV.

The agency had said the money travelled through a 'circuitous route' through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd.

"Investigations have also revealed that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Dynamix Realty, a partnership firm of DB Realty Ltd and other DB group companies, paid Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd during December 2008 to August 2009, following a circuitous route through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd (DB group holds 49 per cent equity in it)," CBI had said in its first charge sheet filed on April 2.

Names of Asif Balwa, cousin of Shahid Balwa, and Rajeev Agarwal, directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, who are presently in judicial custody, are also reported to be part of the supplementary chargesheet.

Raja and eight others, including former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura and three telecom companies were on April 2 indicted in the 2G spectrum allocation scam by CBI, which pegged the loss to the exchequer at Rs 30,984 crore.

The first chargesheet had named Behura, Raja's former PS R K Chandolia, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Reliance ADA group's Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, Reliance Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom.