2G: Special bench of SC to hear plea of Karunanidhi's wife

A special bench of the Supreme Court hearing 2G cases will take up the plea of Dayalu Ammal, wife of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, for exemption from personal appearance as a prosecution witness in the 2G case.

A bench headed by Justice KS Radhakrishnan before whom the matter was listed refused to hear the case, saying the matter be heard by the special bench, comprising Justice GS Singhvi and himself, which is hearing all the 2G cases.

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The petition has been filed by Ammal's daughter Selvi, who has pleaded that a medical board be constituted to find out whether her mother is physically and mentally fit to come to Delhi from Chennai to depose before the special CBI court. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioner, contended that Ammal had been diagnosed with cognitive and behavioural abnormalities in June last year and that she is progressively and gradually losing recognition of even her near and dear ones and is unable to move out of the house on her own.

The bench, after hearing his submissions, said the matter be heard by the special bench which is sitting tomorrow. In the petition, it has been submitted that due to her physical and mental condition, Ammal is prone to "abrasive behaviour, clumsy habit with sudden hitting or punching people, inappropriate talk and action and inability to take care of day-to-day activities".

The petition has been filed against the special CBI court's order refusing to exempt her from appearing as a witness in the case. The plea for exempting 82-year-old Ammal from appearing as a prosecution witness had earlier been moved in the Delhi High Court which on July 4 asked her to move the apex court for relief, as the 2G case is being monitored by it.