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New Delhi: A special
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Friday deferred till
Saturday its decision on the bail plea of DMK parliamentarian
Kanimozhi and three others named co-accused in the 2G spectrum
allocation case.
"The case will be taken up Saturday," CBI Judge O.P. Saini
announced after arguments by senior lawyer and former union law
minister Ram Jethmalani, who appeared for Kanimozhi, and counsel
for others in a jampacked courtroom.
Besides Kanimozhi, daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.
Karunanidhi and a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, the court will also
decide Saturday on the bail pleas of the other accused, Kalaignar
TV chief Sharad Kumar, Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal of Kusegaon
Realty.
"Accused Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar will have to be personally
present in the court Saturday", the judge said.
Kanimozhi arrived at the special court in Patiala House in the
morning accompanied by several DMK members of parliament.
She went up to Justice Saini, greeted him and then sat down in one
of the chairs in the courtroom beside her businessman husband
Arvindam.
Throughout the five-hour long proceedings, Kanimozhi, clad in a
green salwar suit, remained composed and calm.
In her plea, Kanimozhi contended that she had no "wrong
intentions".
Jethmalani argued that Kanimozhi had not signed any document nor
attended any board meetings of Kalaignar TV.
He asserted that the DMK Rajya Sabha member was just a shareholder
and had nothing to do with the transfer of money in the company.
Besides her husband, DMK MPs, including former union minister T.R.
Baalu, Selvendram, K.P. Ramalingan, Vasandis Stanlley, Sugavanam,
Hallen David, Trichy Seva, T.K.S. Elamgovan, A.K.S. Vijaya,
Jayadure and Selvaganapathi were present in the court.
Some of the MPs were seen briefly speaking to Raja, former
communications minister and an accused in the case, who was also
present in the court.
"My misfortune is that I am the daughter of Karunanidhi and an MP.
I have 20 percent share in Kalaignar TV. Show me one overt act of
mine which relates to the offence," Jethmalani said, arguing for
Kanimozhi.
"The overt act committed by the company can't be attributed to a
person who is a mere shareholder and did not take part in any
decision which indicates about her complicity in the case."
"I have not absconded nor interfered with the evidence. I was just
summoned and I obeyed court orders. I have no wrong intention and
bail is my right. It should be granted," Jethmalani contended for
Kanimozhi.
"Treat my bail as a reward for my sex, for my motherhood, and for
my clean image. I have not interfered with the evidence nor will
do so," said Jethmalani on behalf of the DMK MP.
All the 14 named in the CBIs first and supplementary chargesheets
were to appear before the court Friday, but Karim Morani of
Cineyug Films got an exemption as he is admitted to Mumbai's
Lilavati Hospital.
His anticipatory bail application will be heard May 10.
"The cousel for Morani shall remain present in the court for
participating in court proceedings on each date and for collecting
documents, till Morani appears in court," said Saini.
Among those who were present in the court were Raja's personal
aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura,
Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom,
Sanjay Chandra of Unitech, and two officials of Reliance ADAG -
Gautam Doshi and Hari Nair -- who are also accused in the case.
The court was informed that the third official of Relaince ADAG -
Surendra Pipara - was unable to appear as he was admitted in All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Raja, Chandolia, Behura, Shahid Balwa, Asif Balwa, Agarwal, Goenka,
Chandra, Doshi, Nair and Pipara are at present in judicial
custody.
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of
airwaves to telecom operators that caused huge losses to the
national exchequer.
The Congress party Friday insisted that the naming of Kanimozhi in
2G spectrum allocation case will not threaten its alliance with
the DMK.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here that
the Congress's relations with the DMK "are good and will remain
good".
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