Kanimozhi exempted from court appearance to go to TN for stir
DMK MP Kanimozhi, facing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case, was today exempted by a Delhi court from appearing before it for two days to go to Tamil Nadu to participate in a "major agitation" by her party against detention of its leaders by the Jayalalithaa government.
In her plea, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi said she is a Member of Parliament and is under an obligation to participate in the "political agitation", being organised by her party tomorrow.
Accepting her submissions, Special CBI Judge O P Saini said, "Considering the fact that the process of trial shall not be hampered in the absence of accused (Kanimozhi) for these two days and her counsel shall remain present during the proceedings, I am inclined to allow the application.
"Accordingly, Kanimozhi is exempted from personal appearance in the court for July 4 and 5."
The court brushed aside the objections of the CBI that there was a possiblity of her being arrested during the political agitation which may affect the proceedings in the case.
The court meanwhile recorded the statement of prosecution witness Manish Gandhi, director in TCK Advisors (P) Ltd which had invested money in DB Realty.
Gandhi deposed about the investments of DB Realty, a joint venture of Shahid Balwa and Vinor Goenka, accused in the case, and also about the way it ventured into telecom sector.
He said the investors were not comfortable with the DB Realty venturing into the telecom sector from real estate business.
"I had also advised the promoters of DB Realty to keep the venture of telecom separate and indepedent from real estate business. Same was my advise regarding hospitality business of the group.
I had also advised that no director of DB Realty Ltd should become the director of Swan Telecom (P) Ltd till the due diligence was complete," Gandhi tesified.
