Court grants bail to DMK supremo's wife Dayalu Ammal in 2G scam

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, who along with others including former Telecom Minister A Raja, was chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a 2G scam-related money laundering case.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini allowed the bail plea of 83-year-old Ammal on a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.

The court, however, dismissed the plea of Ammal seeking discharge in the case on the ground that she was not well and was suffering from unsoundness of mind. It asked Ammal's counsel to furnish the bail bond within two days.

The judge, who was also scheduled to pass the verdict on the bail pleas of other nine accused on Wednesday, said that the order was not ready yet. The court said it would pass the order at 2:30 pm on Wednesdasy.

On August 6, the court had deferred for Wednesday its order on the bail pleas of former Telecom Minister Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others who were chargesheeted by the ED in this case.

ED had chargesheeted 19 accused - 10 individuals and nine firms - in the case saying that the transaction of Rs 200 crore, which was allegedly paid to DMK-run Kalaignar TV, was not genuine and it was a bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies.

Ammal was holding 60 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV while Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar were holding 20 per cent stake each, the agency had said.

The agency had also claimed that its probe into the case emanates from 2G spectrum allocation scam and the accused had allegedly conspired and committed offences under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).