The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday dropped two prosecution witnesses, including DMK chief M Karunanidhi's daughter S Selvi, in a money laundering case of 2G scam with approval of a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini allowed dropping of two prosecution witnesses after special public prosecutor N K Matta submitted that the ED did not wish to get Selvi and T Siva Subramanian examined as prosecution witnesses in the case. “Prayer allowed. Both of them are dropped from the list of witnesses to be examined,” the court said.
According to ED’s Assistant Director Kamal Singh’s deposition recorded by the court on Monday, it was Selvi who informed the ED that Karunanidhi's wife was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss after the agency issued a summon against accused M K Dayalu for her appearance before it in connection with the case in March 2014.
Subramanian, who was “statutory auditor” of Kalaignar TV Private Limited where bribe money was parked, had told the ED that he used to submit income tax returns of Dayalu and accused P Amirtham and also use to sign cheques on behalf of the company, Singh told the court.
“He further told me the details of his foreign visits,” the ED official who had recorded the statement of Subramanian deposed. Selvi and Subramanian were among 28 prosecution witnesses of the ED in the case which involves former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others as accused.
The court initiated the trial of the case against 19 accused including 10 individuals after framing charges against them in October 31.
Accused have been charged of parking bribe money of Rs 200 crore with Kalaignar TV by colluding with each other against grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies by accused Raja.