New Delhi, November 4 – Former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal and 16 others will face trial in a 2G scam case related to money laundering from November 17.
The matter, which was earlier fixed up for November 11 for recording statements of prosecution witnesses has been now put up for November 17. The move came after the counsel for both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the accused sought adjournment.
“Put up the matter for recording of prosecution evidence on November 17, 2014, as requested by both parties. The date of November 11, 2014, as already fixed, stands cancelled,” the judge said. Similarly, the counsel for the 19 accused also sought adjournment on the ground that considering the record of the case, they were not ready for cross-examination.
On October 31, the court had put on trial Raja, Kanimozhi, Dayalu and 16 others on money laundering charges. Charges were framed against 19 accused — 10 individuals and nine companies — under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
All the accused had pleaded not guilty and said that they will go for trial on charges against them. Charges were framed against Raja by the court for “conniving” with Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and other co-accused in “parking” illegal gratification of Rs.200 crore in Kalaignar TV.
If convicted, Raja and others will face a maximum sentence of up to seven years. This is the second case in the 2G spectrum allocation scam in which Raja, Kanimozhi and others, including Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, will face trial for their alleged involvement in the scam.
The court had said there was enough material on record which made out a “prima facie” case against all the accused who were chargesheeted by ED on April 25, for committing an offence punishable under the PMLA.
Besides Raja, Kanimozhi and Dayalu, the individual co-accused in the case are Swan Telecom Promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Kalaignar TV (KTV) MD Sharad Kumar and its Director P Amirtham and Bollywood producer Karim Morani. All of them are out on bail.
The court also framed charges against the nine accused firms — Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL), Kusegaon Realty Pvt Ltd (formerly known as Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd), Cineyug Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd (formerly known as Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd), Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd, Dynamix Realty, Eversmile Construction Company Pvt Ltd, Conwood Constructions and Developers (P) Ltd, DB Realty Ltd and Nihar Constructions Pvt Ltd.
ED, in its charge sheet, had alleged that all the accused were involved in the Rs.200-crore money transaction which was “not bonafide” and it was a “bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies” by Raja.
The court had also noted that the accused tried to project the “tainted money as untainted” and gave it a “colour” of regular business transactions with the intent to conceal its true nature. The court, in its order, had said entire amount to the tune of Rs.223.55 crore was in fact the “proceeds of crime.”
In the first case probed by the CBI, Raja, Kanimozhi, Shahid Balwa, Goenka, Asif Balwa, Rajiv Agarwal, Morani and Sharad Kumar, along with others, are facing trial for criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, cheating and other offences punishable under the provisions of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption. when a Delhi court will start recording evidence.
-INDIA TODAY
