2G: Karunanidhi’s wife moves SC on health grounds
08 Jul 2013
Dayalu Ammal, the wife of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi, has moved the Supreme Court seeking exemption from deposing as a witness in 2G spectrum allocation case.
Earlier, a Delhi court had dismissed two applications filed by 82-year-old Ammal seeking exemption from personal appearance as a witness and also to dispense with her presence in the case, on the grounds of poor health.
The Delhi High Court had on 4 July asked Ammal to move the Supreme Court against the trial court order dismissing her plea seeking exemption from personal appearance as a prosecution witness in the 2G case.
Justice Gaur, of the high court, refusing to entertain Ammal's plea, said, "I cannot hear the matter on merit. You (Ammal) have to make a mention before the Supreme Court. It is being monitored by the Supreme Court and I am not going to touch it."
The petition seeking exemption from appearance in court contended that because of her "physical and mental condition, Dayalu Ammal is prone to abrasive behaviour, clumsy habits with sudden hitting or punching people, inappropriate talk and action, and inability to take care of day-to-day activities".
Special CBI judge O P Saini had ruled that Ammal is an ''important witness'' as she was a director in Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd by which an alleged bribe amount of Rs200 crore was received.
The order is significant as Karunanidhi's daughter, DMK MP Kanimozhi, and Sharad Kumar, managing director of the TV channel, are facing trial in the case along with former telecom minister A Raja, DB Realty Ltd managing director Vinod Goenka and others.
The CBI, in its charge-sheet, has discussed the routing of over Rs200 crore of bribe money from Dynamix Realty to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd.
In its first charge-sheet filed on 2 April 2011, CBI had said the money had travelled through a ''circuitous route'' through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, a DB group company, and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd, to Kalaignar TV in which Dayalu Ammal, Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar owned 60, 20 and 20 per cent shares respectively.
