By IANS,
New Delhi: DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar, named as co-conspirators in the 2G spectrum scam, were Friday taken into custody after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court rejected their bail pleas.
CBI special judge O.P. Saini said: “Both the bail applications (of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar) are dismissed. As per the court orders, they are to be taken into custody.”
Kanimozhi, who was accompanied in court by her husband Aravindan and was clad in an orange salwar-kurta, tried to regain her composure after the judgment was pronounced and later told her supporters that “she was expecting the decision”.
Her security guard burst into tears as the judge announced his decision.
The CBI had named Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, and Sharad Kumar as co-conspirators in its April 25 supplementary chargesheet after it traced an illegal money trail of Rs.214 crore in the scam.
As the judge pronounced the verdict, co-accused — and former communications minister — A. Raja looked shocked. The DMK MP is already in jail in connection with the case, related to irregularities in the allocation of airwaves to telecom companies that caused huge losses to the exchequer.
Also present in the courtroom Friday were former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, Raja’s aide R.K. Chandolia, Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech.
Two officials of ADAG, Gautam Doshi and Hari Nair, who were also named in the charge sheet, were present in the courtroom.
Cineyug Film’s Karim Morani was not present as he got exemption from personal appearance due to his ill health, while Surendra Pipara of Reliance, who is in judicial custody, was also not present in the court as he is undergoing treatment for a heart problem at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Kalaignar TV channel had earlier stated that the Rs.214 crore it got was a loan and paid back with interest.