Court orders Kanimozhi's arrest

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) A Delhi court on Friday
ordered "forthwith" arrest of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam
(DMK) MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar after
rejecting their bail pleas in the 2G spectrum case.
"The bail applications are dismissed. Both the accused
be taken into custody forthwith," Special CBI Judge O P Saini
said.
The court directed that 43-year-old Kanimozhi and
Kumar should be produced before it at 10 am on Saturday, when
the case comes up for hearing.

The DMK MP, wearing an orange salwar suit, looked
stunned after the CBI judge pronounced his order and was
consoled by her family members, including her husband
Aravindan.
DMK leaders, including its parliamentary party
chief T R Baalu, was present in the court.
Minutes after the court pronounced its order, some of
DMK supporters broke down while others were seen making
frantic calls.

The court in its 144-page order said that most of the
witnesses against the DMK MP are the employees of Kalaignar TV
and hence the possibility of they being influenced cannot be
ruled out.
"Considering the magnitude of the crime and the fact
that many of the witnesses are employees of Kalaignar TV,
there is every apprehension that the witnesses may be
influenced, if the accused are released on bail," the CBI
judge said.
The court also considered the "enormity" of the
offence while rejecting the bail of Kanimozhi and Sharad
Kumar.
"Considering the magnitude of the crime, nature and
enormity of the allegations, character of evidence on record
and the apprehension that the witnesses may be influenced in
case the accused are released on bail, I have no hesitation in
holding that both applicants/accused have failed to make out a
prima facie case for bail. Bail applications are without merit
and the same are dismissed," the judge said.
The court, however, clarified that its observations
were "tentative" and they do not express any opinion on the
merits of the case.
The CBI had chargesheeted Kanimozhi on April 25, for
her alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. It had
indicted her for taking a bribe to the tune of Rs 200 crore,
which was routed to Kalaignar TV, in which she has 20 percent
stake.
The money was routed to the TV channel by DB Realty of
Shahid Usman Balwa, who was of one of the beneficiaries of the
2G spectrum allocation scam, with his another firm, Swan
Telecom, securing the 2G spectrum licence during the tenure of
former Telecom Minister A Raja of her party.
Besides Kanimozhi, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal holds 60 per cent share in the
Kalaignar TV. She, however, was not chargesheeted in the case
as the CBI said she did not take part in the day-to-day
functioning of the channel.
Kanimozhi was chargesheeted along with TV channel MD
Sharad Kumar, who too held 20 percent stake in it.
After the CBI filed chargesheeted against them in the
Special CBI court, they were asked to appear before it on May
6, when Kanimozhi filed her bail plea.
The court earlier had reserved its verdict on her bail
plea for May 14, but had advanced it to Friday.