Kanimozhi wants change in ED questioning date of May 13

DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here to seek another date instead of May 13 for their questioning in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Sources said the 43-year-old daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi accompanied by Kumar met the officials of the ED (Delhi zone) after seeking an appointment to explain their inability to appear on the scheduled date of May 13 owing to time constraints, as they are due to appear before Income Tax authorities in Chennai tomorrow.

Sources said both the individuals, charged by CBI in the 2G spectrum scam in connection with the channelling of Rs 200 crore to DMK family-run Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route, would soon be given new dates for questioning, preferably after the May 14 hearing of the duo in the Supreme Court for pronouncement of their bail pleas.

The ED had summoned the duo for questioning about the transfer of the Rs 200 crore sum to Kalaignar TV, in which both Kanimozhi and Kumar hold a 20 per cent stake each. Some other transactions are also under the scanner of the ED in the 2G scam.

The ED, according to sources, had asked the duo to provide documents related to their funding, income, properties and their personal investments to the Directorate which will soon begin attachment proceedings against other individuals and certain telecom firms involved in the case.

Besides the cases of Kanimozhi and Kumar, similar summons under the provisions of the anti-money laundering Act were issued to Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa''s cousin Asif Balwa, Director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Rajeev Agarwal and Karim Murani of Cineyug Films (Pvt) Ltd.