CBI on Monday served notices to all the 17 accused in the 2G case to appear before Chennai’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on October 28 during the deposition of DMK Chief Karunanidhi’s ailing wife Dayalu Ammal.
The Magistrate was appointed by the 2G Special Court after Supreme Court direction to record the 84-year-old Dayalu’s testimony. CBI has made her a witness in the 2G case.
last week, 2G Special Court Judge OP Saini directed CBI to expedite the testimony of Dayalu, expressing displeasure on the delay. The apex court had exempted her from personal appearance in the special CBI court and directed that she be examined in Chennai.
The apex court had passed the order on a plea filed by her daughter Selvi seeking a direction to exempt her mother from appearing before the trial court as prosecution witness on medical grounds.
The apex court had said that according to a medical board report, Dayalu was unfit to depose as a witness before the court as she cannot travel and had asked the special CBI court to appoint a commission to examine her in the case in Chennai where she resides.
Dayalu was a Director in Kalaignar TV and held 60 percent shares in it. The channel was accused of accepting Rs 214 crore kickback from 2G accused Shahid Balwa’s companies. CBI chargesheeted other directors Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar in the case, but left Dayalu untouched. The agency said she was not involved in the company’s affairs from 2007.
Former Telecom Minister A.Raja, private secretary RK Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhart Behura, industrialists Vinod Goenka, Sanjay Chandra, Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara, Hari Nair and Karim Morani are the other accused in the 2G case, which is nearing completion after two-year long trial.
Three companies Swan Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Reliance Telecom are also accused in the case.