2G PMLA case: Court to hear final arguments on Dec 1

A special court today fixed December 1 for hearing the ongoing final arguments in a 2G scam-related money laundering case in which former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 17 others are facing trial. Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who was scheduled to hear the final arguments, deferred it as special public prosecutor Anand Grover was not available today.Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier told the court that Rs 200 crore "illegal gratification" was transferred to DMK-run Kalaignar TV by DB group firm through a "circuitous route" in return for grant of 2G spectrum to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd by Raja. It had claimed that the money was transferred back to DB group firm by Kalaignar TV once Raja was about to be called for questioning by CBI in connection with 2G scam case. It had alleged that a conspiracy was hatched by Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal and other accused and Rs 200 crore was the "proceeds of crime". Raja, Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and 16 others, including nine firms, are facing trial in the case in which ED had on April 25 last year filed a charge sheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court had on October 31 last year framed charges against the accused saying Raja, allegedly in connivance with Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and other co-accused, was involved in "parking" of illegal gratification in Kalaignar TV. The other accused are Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL) promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani and P Amirtham. All of them are out on bail.

The court had also framed charges against accused firms STPL, Kalaignar TV, Kusegaon Realty Pvt Ltd (formerly Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd), Cineyug Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd (formerly called Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd), Dynamix Realty, DB Realty Ltd, Eversmile Construction Company Pvt Ltd, Conwood Constructions and Developers(P) Ltd and Mystical Construction(P) Ltd (earlier M/s Nihar Constructions(P) Ltd). This is the second case in the 2G spectrum allocation scam in which Raja, Kanimozhi and others are facing trial for their alleged involvement.