Accused Raja, Kanimozhi, others summoned in laundering case

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 17 other accused were today summoned to appear on May 26 by a Delhi court which took cognisance of the charge sheet filed in connection with a money laundering case related to 2G scam by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special CBI Judge O P Saini asked all the accused, including DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, to appear before it, saying there is "enough incriminating material" on record to proceed against them.

"I have carefully considered the submissions made at the bar in the light of the material on record. Since the complaint has been filed by a public servant, there is no need to examine him.

"On perusal of the material on record, I am satisfied that there is enough incriminating material on record to proceed against the accused persons. Accordingly, I take cognisance of the case," the judge said, adding, "Issue summons to the accused for May 26."

ED had filed its charge sheet against 19 accused, including 10 individuals and nine companies, on April 25 in the money laundering case.

Besides Raja, Kanimozhi and Dayalu Ammal, ED also named promoters of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL) Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka as accused in the case.

Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Aggarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar have also been named as accused in the case.

ED also named as accused 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.

The court had on April 30 reserved the order on the issue of taking cognisance after hearing arguments advanced by ED in which the agency said that prima facie a case of money laundering was made out against the 19 accused.

The ED prosecutor had told the court that their investigation in the case emanates from the 2G scam and the accused allegedly conspired and committed the scheduled offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The prosecutor had claimed that the transaction of Rs 200 crore, which was allegedly paid to DMK-run Kalaignar TV, was "not genuine" and it was a "bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies".

On the alleged role of Raja, ED had said, being the telecom minister, he was having the principal role in allotment of licences and he "assisted" in the offence of money laundering.

It had said that DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, who was also chargesheeted, was holding 60 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV whereas co-accused Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar were having a stake of 20 per cent each.

ED had also alleged that there was a "reverse trail" of money from Kalaignar TV to Dynamix Realty through Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd (CFPL) and Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd (KFVPL).

It had claimed that the accused had attempted to show that these transactions were genuine but surprisingly the reverse trail of money started when Raja was called by CBI for questioning in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation case.