Kanimozhi behind bars: Testing times ahead for DMK, say analysts!
CWG scam: CBI files charge sheet against Kalmadi and others!
Following is the chronology of the events related to the case in which former Telecom Minister A Raja is the main accused:
May 2007: A Raja takes over as Telecom Minister. Aug 2007: Process of allotment of 2G Spectrum for telecom along with Universal Access Service (UAS) Licences initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Sept 25, 2007: Telecom Ministry issues press note fixing deadline for application as October 1, 2007.
Oct 1, 2007: DoT receives 575 applications for UAS licences of 46 companies.
Nov 2, 2007: The Prime Minister writes to Raja directing him to ensure allotment of 2G spectrum in a fair and transparent manner and to ensure licence fee was properly revised. Raja writes back to the Prime Minister rejecting many of his recommendations.
Nov 22, 2007: Finance Ministry writes to DoT raising concerns over the procedure adopted by it. Demand for review rejected.
Jan 10, 2008: DoT decides to issue licences on first-come- first-serve basis, preponing the cut-off date to September 25, from October 1, 2007. Later on the same day, DoT posted an announcement on its website saying those who apply between 3.30 and 4.30 pm would be issued licences in accordance with the said policy.
2008: Swan Telecom, Unitech and Tata Teleservices sell off a part of their stakes at much higher rates to Etisalat, Telenor and DoCoMo respectively.
May 4, 2009: An NGO Telecom Watchdog files complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the illegalities in the spectrum allocation to Loop Telecom.
May 19, 2009 : Another complaint was filed to the CVC by one Arun Agarwal, highlighting grant of spectrum to Swan Telecom at throw away prices.
2009: CVC directs CBI to investigate the irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum.
July 1, 2009: Delhi HC holds advancing of cut-off date as illegal on a petition of telecom company S-Tel.
Oct 21, 2009: CBI registers a case and files an FIR against "unknown officers of DoT and unknown private persons/ companies under various provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Oct 22, 2009: CBI raids DoT offices. Nov 16, 2009: CBI seeks details of tapped conversation of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia to find out involvement of middlemen in the grant of spectrum to telecom companies.
Mar 31, 2010: CAG says that there was large scale irregularities in the spectrum allocation.
CBI alleges that the five Games officials colluded to award the contract for the TSR system to Swiss Timing-Omega at an inflated cost of 141 crore, causing a loss of some 95 crore to the exchequer. Kalmadi and his team-mates are accused of pocketing the entire amount as kickbacks. Swiss Timing-Omega, in turn, outsourced parts of the contract to Gem International and AKR Constructions.
"Officials conspired with representatives of the Swiss firm, wrongfully restricting and eliminating competition from other suppliers in a pre-meditated and planned manner. Investigation has revealed that the committee for shortlisting prospective bidders for TSR was constituted by selecting hand-picked officials,'' CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra had said after Kalmadi's arrest on April 25.
"Investigation has also revealed that members of the tender evaluation committee were coerced and threatened to disqualify other bidders. Investigation has also revealed that Indian representatives of the favoured supplier were in regular contact with the three arrested OC officials (Kalmadi, Bhanot and Verma) much before the award of the tender,'' the CBI spokesperson had said.
Kanimozhi lodged in Tihar Jail
DMK MP Kanimozhi was on Friday lodged in a 15 ft x10 ft cell at the Tihar Jail after being sent there for her role in the 2G spectrum case, far from the air-conditioning and other comforts which she is used to at her palatial bungalow in Chennai's CIT colony.
43-year-old Kanimozhi was taken to Jail No. 6 by women personnel after a special CBI court rejected her bail plea and order her "forthwith" arrest.
A woman police personnel was seen holding Ms. Kanimozhi's hands when she was taken from the Patiala House complex.
According to jail officials, Ms. Kanimozhi will have access to a television set, newspapers, a ceiling fan and a cot in her 15ft x 10 ft cell.
Madhuri Gupta, a former official of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad arrested on charges of spying, Sonu Punjaban, arrested in the biggest prostitution network in Delhi and NCR through "word of mouth" and Sharda Jain, who was given a life term last year for her role in the murder of city councillor Atma Ram Gupta too are lodged in Jail No. 6.
Co-accused in the case Sharad Kumar, MD of Kalaignar TV, will be kept in Jail No 4.
Mr. Kumar will join former NALCO CMD Abhay Kumar Srivastava and sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in Jail No 4.
Keywords: Kanimozhi, judicial custody, 2G spectrum scam
DMK MP Kanimozhi's arrest in the 2G spectrum scam Friday has come as a big blow to the party after its massive defeat in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls and will put it through testing times in the coming days, political observers said.
DMK MP Kanimozhi was today lodged in a 15 ftx10 ft cell at the Tihar Jail after being sent there for her role in the 2G spectrum case , far from the air-conditioning and other comforts which she is used to at her palatial bungalow in Chennai's CIT colony.
43-year-old Kanimozhi was taken to Jail No 6 by women personnel after a special CBI court rejected her bail plea and order her "forthwith" arrest.
A woman police personnel was seen holding Kanimozhi's hands when she was taken from the Patiala House complex.
According to jail officials, Kanimozhi will have access to a television set, newspapers, a ceiling fan and a cot in her 15ft x 10 ft cell .
Madhuri Gupta, a former official of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad arrested on charges of spying, Sonu Punjaban, arrested in the biggest prostitution network in Delhi and NCR through "word of mouth" and Sharda Jain, who was given a life term last year for her role in the murder of city councillor Atma Ram Gupta too are lodged in jail no. six.
Co-accused in the case Sharad Kumar, MD of Kalaignar TV, will be kept in jail no four.
Kumar will join former NALCO CMD Abhay Kumar Srivastava and sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in jail no four.
BJP welcomes Kanimozhi's arrest
Welcoming the arrest of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case , the BJP today said this was possible only because the case was monitored by the Supreme Court and demanded that it also oversees cases related to corruption in Commonwealth Games.
"DMK MP Kanimozhi's bail plea was rejected today. These arrests and actions have been taken in the 2G case as the Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI inquiry. CBI had been investigating the case for 13 months since 2008 but there were no results," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD and CEO Sharad Kumar were arrested today for allegedly receiving pay-offs in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
"Action was visible and became feasible in the case only when the Supreme Court started monitoring the case and asked for progress reports every week," Javadekar said.
He maintained that similar action was needed in other scams that took place during UPA-II but this would be possible only if the apex court is roped in.
"Other scams have also come to light and Supreme Court should monitor the inquiry into them. All accused will be spared until the Supreme Court comes into the picture," Javadekar said.
He specifically mentioned the Commonwealth Games, maintaining that though the V K Shunglu Committee had indicted Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit no action has been taken against her so far.
"The Commonwealth Games scam investigations are government-controlled. Despite the Shunglu Committee indicting the Delhi Chief Minister no action has been taken as it is being done by a government-monitored agency under a government-action plan," he said.
He demanded that the Supreme Court start monitoring the CWG probe as well on the lines of the 2G scam probe.
DMK silent on Kanimozhi arrest
CHENNAI: Leaders of Tamil Nadu's DMK were not available for comment after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in New Delhi Friday refused bail to Kanimozhi, daughter of party chief and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi. The Lok Sabha member was later taken into custody.
Leaders of DMK and its allies, the Congress and PMK were not available for comments on the developments.
However, other parties termed the development as a heavy blow for Karunanidhi, and said it could mean the beginning of the DMK's decline.
"The denial of bail was expected and was no news. However, the real conspirator is Karunanidhi for whom the money was intended. Law should take its own course and reach Karunanidhi," DMDK leader Panruti S. Ramachandran told IANS.
According to him, it is the start of DMK's decline.
"The fish rots from the head. The DMK party owes its sustenance to Karunanidhi's family. Here the leader's family is involved and DMK will decline," he said.
He said the arrest of Kanimozhi will be a personal and emotional blow for Karunanidhi, but ruled out any impact on the central government supported by DMK.
"It is immaterial whether the DMK party is in or out of the government. The central government will not fall," Ramachandran said.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP T.K. Rangarajan echoed similar views.
"The Congress can carry on without DMK. The law has taken its course in arresting Kanimozhi. The DMK may not withdraw its support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government."
The CBI had named Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar as co-conspirators in its April 25 supplementary charge sheet after it traced an illegal money trail of Rs.214 crore in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Along with Kanimozhi, the CBI court also denied bail to Sharad Kumar, managing director of Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd which is promoted by family members of Karunanidhi.
Who is Kanimozhi?
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: May 20, 2011 17:34 IST
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New Delhi: The DMK and the Karunanidhi family have been dealt two massive body blows just a week apart. On May 13 it received such an electoral drubbing at the hands of J Jayalalithaa. The DMK, ruling the state till last week, is not even the biggest Opposition party now. And today, Kanimozhi, the party's urban and articulate Delhi face and the party chief's favourite child, has been arrested and sent to jail.
MK Kanimozhi is a DMK Rajya Sabha MP and the one member of DMK chief M Karunanidhi's family that talks the language of the GenNext. She has also been called her father's literary heir, the one that shares a love of poetry with him.
She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2007, and serves on various Parliamentary committees. And lists her profession as politician, poet and journalist.
Kanimozhi, now 43, spent her growing years without seeing much of her father as he divided time between two homes and wives. Kanimozhi's mother, Rajathiammal, was Karunanidhi's third wife. His second, Dayaluammal, is the mother of sons MK Alagiri and MK Stalin.
The DMK MP has a Masters in Economics, was a journalist employed with several publications and also ran a website before she joined active politics. She is also a published poet and is seen as Karunanidhi's literary heir while her two half-brothers joust for top honours as his political heir.
Within the family, the two brothers are said to be wary of the little sister, for whom their father has a decided soft spot. He has gone out of his way to underscore that fondness and his solidarity with his daughter ever since she was named in the 2G scam.
Kanimozhi's political career has been in a shadow ever since the 2G scam broke. A Raja, who is now in jail for his alleged involvement in the scam, was known for his close relationship with Kanimozhi. She also owns 20 per cent stake in the Chennai channel Kalaignar TV that was allegedly the recipient of a Rs. 214-crore kickback from the massive spectrum scam. It is in this capacity that Kanimozhi was charged as a co-accused in the 2G scam.
Kanimozhi has been married twice. G Aravindan is her second husband and they have a son.
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Story first published: March 11, 2011 15:33 IST
Tags: a raja, DMK, Kanimozhi, karunanaidhi, who is kanimozhi
Kanimozhi
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Indian MP held over telecom scandal
AFP - 30 minutes ago A New Delhi court ordered that Kanimozhi, who uses one name, "be taken into custody forthwith" in connection with the scandal, aft... Images
Opposition welcomes DMK MP Kanimozhi's arrest
New Delhi: The Opposition on Friday welcomed the CBI special court's decision ordering the arrest of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G scam spectrum case.
"These arrests and actions have been possible only because the Supreme Court is monitoring the inquiry," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
He also added, "This is the only UPA regime where government controlled inquiries will produce no results."
Javadekar said, "If we want effective results, the only way is Supreme Court because government monitored agencies do not perform. The enquiries about other scams including CWG then only will we be getting justice."
Communist Party of India (CPI) Secretary D Raja said, "Congress stands thoroughly exposed."
Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD and CEO Sharad Kumar were arrested after a Special Central Bureau of Investigating (CBI) court dismissed the bail petition of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar in the case following which they were taken into custody.
While rejecting their bail petition Judge OP Saini ordered their "forthwith" arrest and directed the duo to appear before it at 10 am on Saturday. Kanimozhi and Kumar will be lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/opposition-welcomes-dmk-mp-kanimozhis-arrest/153004-3.html
CWG scam: CBI files charge sheet against Kalmadi and others
PTISuresh Kalmadi, sacked Chairman of the CWG Organizing Committee, being produced in Patiala House court in New Delhi. File photo In its over 50-page charge sheet, the CBI has accused Mr. Kalmadi as the key person with all the powers to take decisions regarding award of contracts.
The CBI today filed its first charge sheet in a Delhi court against sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, describing him as a "main accused" in a corruption case relating to irregularities in awarding a games-related contract to a Swiss firm.
The probe agency, in its over 50-page charge sheet, has accused Mr. Kalmadi as the key person with all the powers to take decisions regarding award of contracts.
"Mr. Kalmadi is the main accused as he was the person with all supreme powers. He had the supreme over riding powers in the Organising Committee of the CWG, 2010," the charge sheet said.
Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh took the charge sheet into record and fixed it for taking up the issue of cognisance on it on May 23.
Besides Mr. Kalmadi, the agency has named two companies and eight persons including OC former Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and former Director General V.K. Verma as accused and sought their prosecution under various provisions of the IPC, dealing with criminal conspiracy, forging documents and using fake documents as genuine.
According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly awarded the lucrative contract to the Swiss firm to install a Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) system for the Commonwealth Games at an exorbitant cost, causing a loss of over Rs. 90 crore to the exchequer.
Keywords: Suresh Kalmadi, CWG scam, Commonwealth scam, Kalmadi chargesheeted
Kanimozhi lodged in Tihar Jail
PTIDMK MP Kanimozhi being taken from Patiala House court to Tihar Jail for judicial custody in connection with 2G spectrum case, in New Delhi on Friday. DMK MP Kanimozhi was on Friday lodged in a 15 ft x10 ft cell at the Tihar Jail after being sent there for her role in the 2G spectrum case, far from the air-conditioning and other comforts which she is used to at her palatial bungalow in Chennai's CIT colony.
43-year-old Kanimozhi was taken to Jail No. 6 by women personnel after a special CBI court rejected her bail plea and order her "forthwith" arrest.
A woman police personnel was seen holding Ms. Kanimozhi's hands when she was taken from the Patiala House complex.
According to jail officials, Ms. Kanimozhi will have access to a television set, newspapers, a ceiling fan and a cot in her 15ft x 10 ft cell.
Madhuri Gupta, a former official of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad arrested on charges of spying, Sonu Punjaban, arrested in the biggest prostitution network in Delhi and NCR through "word of mouth" and Sharda Jain, who was given a life term last year for her role in the murder of city councillor Atma Ram Gupta too are lodged in Jail No. 6.
Co-accused in the case Sharad Kumar, MD of Kalaignar TV, will be kept in Jail No 4.
Mr. Kumar will join former NALCO CMD Abhay Kumar Srivastava and sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in Jail No 4.
Keywords: Kanimozhi, judicial custody, 2G spectrum scam
Political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan said the DMK is caught in a difficult situation after its defeat in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls last week where it won only 23 of the 119 seats it contested and the arrest of Kanimozhi, daughter of party supremo and former chief minister M. Karunanidhi.
"The arrest of Kanimozhi has followed election of (J.) Jayalalithaa as chief minister. It could not be worse (for DMK). It is a litmus test of their mettle," Rangarajan told IANS.
He said DMK cadre will be demoralised "if the (Karunanidhi) family cannot protect one of its own".
"In a sense, they are architects of their own denouement. Let's see how they react," he said.
However, Rangarajan added that pulling out of ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) may not be an option for the DMK as it will lose leverage at the central government.
The DMK is part of the Congress-led UPA government and has two union ministers, Dayanidhi Maran and M.K. Alagiri, apart from ministers of state.
DMK MP and former communications minister A. Raja is in jail for alleged manipulation of procedures in allocation of 2G spectrum.
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.
The CBI had named Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar as co-conspirators in its April 25 supplementary charge sheet after it traced an illegal money trail of Rs.214 crore in the scam. Kanimozhi is a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV.
Rangarajan said that one of the options before the DMK was to start an agitation to claim and build public opinion about Kanimozhi being innocent in the 2G case.
N. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), said that the DMK cannot afford to withdraw from the UPA in protest against arrest of Kanimozhi.
"I don't think they will withdraw. They have to fight the battle legally. Beyond that, they cannot do much at the moment," he said.
He said that if the Congress and Jayalalithaa come closer, it will spell further trouble for the DMK.
Rao said that not just Kanimozhi, but other members of Karunanidhi's family were likely to face legal troubles after Jayalalithaa's return to power in Tamil Nadu.
"Other members of Karunanidh's family are going to be involved. There are many old cases pending...There is a personalised battle between Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi," he said.
Rao said that former state deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin was the only leader who has organisational background to steer the DMK if his father, 87-year-old Karunandihi, exits from political scene.
"The future of DMK is Stalin," he said.
Rao said that DMK leadership is likely to spend the next six months to one year in fighting legal battles and wait for its difficult days to be over.
"I think they will wait for their turn...But no other political party has seen this kind of political struggle," he said.
K. Sreekumar, a Kochi-based political analyst, said that "nexus of DMK with business" has been there for a long time and the arrest of Kanimozhi provides the party an opportunity for introspection.
"It is an opportunity for introspection not only for DMK but other political parties having businesses and using their political might through controversial means," he said.
"DMK MP Kanimozhi's bail plea was rejected today. These arrests and actions have been taken in the 2G case as the Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI inquiry. CBI had been investigating the case for 13 months since 2008 but there were no results," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD and CEO Sharad Kumar were arrested today for allegedly receiving pay-offs in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
"Action was visible and became feasible in the case only when the Supreme Court started monitoring the case and asked for progress reports every week," Javadekar said.
He maintained that similar action was needed in other scams that took place during UPA-II but this would be possible only if the apex court is roped in.
"Other scams have also come to light and Supreme Court should monitor the inquiry into them. All accused will be spared until the Supreme Court comes into the picture," Javadekar said.
He specifically mentioned the Commonwealth Games, maintaining that though the V K Shunglu Committee had indicted Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit no action has been taken against her so far.
"The Commonwealth Games scam investigations are government-controlled. Despite the Shunglu Committee indicting the Delhi Chief Minister no action has been taken as it is being done by a government-monitored agency under a government-action plan," he said.
He demanded that the Supreme Court start monitoring the CWG probe as well on the lines of the 2G scam probe.
Leaders of DMK and its allies, the Congress and PMK were not available for comments on the developments.
However, other parties termed the development as a heavy blow for Karunanidhi, and said it could mean the beginning of the DMK's decline.
"The denial of bail was expected and was no news. However, the real conspirator is Karunanidhi for whom the money was intended. Law should take its own course and reach Karunanidhi," DMDK leader Panruti S. Ramachandran told IANS.
According to him, it is the start of DMK's decline.
"The fish rots from the head. The DMK party owes its sustenance to Karunanidhi's family. Here the leader's family is involved and DMK will decline," he said.
He said the arrest of Kanimozhi will be a personal and emotional blow for Karunanidhi, but ruled out any impact on the central government supported by DMK.
"It is immaterial whether the DMK party is in or out of the government. The central government will not fall," Ramachandran said.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP T.K. Rangarajan echoed similar views.
"The Congress can carry on without DMK. The law has taken its course in arresting Kanimozhi. The DMK may not withdraw its support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government."
The CBI had named Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar as co-conspirators in its April 25 supplementary charge sheet after it traced an illegal money trail of Rs.214 crore in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Along with Kanimozhi, the CBI court also denied bail to Sharad Kumar, managing director of Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd which is promoted by family members of Karunanidhi.
Who is Kanimozhi?
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: May 20, 2011 17:34 IST
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MK Kanimozhi is a DMK Rajya Sabha MP and the one member of DMK chief M Karunanidhi's family that talks the language of the GenNext. She has also been called her father's literary heir, the one that shares a love of poetry with him.
She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2007, and serves on various Parliamentary committees. And lists her profession as politician, poet and journalist.
Kanimozhi, now 43, spent her growing years without seeing much of her father as he divided time between two homes and wives. Kanimozhi's mother, Rajathiammal, was Karunanidhi's third wife. His second, Dayaluammal, is the mother of sons MK Alagiri and MK Stalin.
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PrintThe DMK MP has a Masters in Economics, was a journalist employed with several publications and also ran a website before she joined active politics. She is also a published poet and is seen as Karunanidhi's literary heir while her two half-brothers joust for top honours as his political heir.
Within the family, the two brothers are said to be wary of the little sister, for whom their father has a decided soft spot. He has gone out of his way to underscore that fondness and his solidarity with his daughter ever since she was named in the 2G scam.
Kanimozhi's political career has been in a shadow ever since the 2G scam broke. A Raja, who is now in jail for his alleged involvement in the scam, was known for his close relationship with Kanimozhi. She also owns 20 per cent stake in the Chennai channel Kalaignar TV that was allegedly the recipient of a Rs. 214-crore kickback from the massive spectrum scam. It is in this capacity that Kanimozhi was charged as a co-accused in the 2G scam.
Kanimozhi has been married twice. G Aravindan is her second husband and they have a son.
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Tags: a raja, DMK, Kanimozhi, karunanaidhi, who is kanimozhi
Kanimozhi
Featured videoFeatured photoIndian MP held over telecom scandalAFP - 30 minutes ago A New Delhi court ordered that Kanimozhi, who uses one name, "be taken into custody forthwith" in connection with the scandal, aft... Images |
Opposition welcomes DMK MP Kanimozhi's arrest
Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Opposition on Friday welcomed the CBI special court's decision ordering the arrest of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G scam spectrum case.
"These arrests and actions have been possible only because the Supreme Court is monitoring the inquiry," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
He also added, "This is the only UPA regime where government controlled inquiries will produce no results."
Javadekar said, "If we want effective results, the only way is Supreme Court because government monitored agencies do not perform. The enquiries about other scams including CWG then only will we be getting justice."
Communist Party of India (CPI) Secretary D Raja said, "Congress stands thoroughly exposed."
Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD and CEO Sharad Kumar were arrested after a Special Central Bureau of Investigating (CBI) court dismissed the bail petition of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar in the case following which they were taken into custody.
While rejecting their bail petition Judge OP Saini ordered their "forthwith" arrest and directed the duo to appear before it at 10 am on Saturday. Kanimozhi and Kumar will be lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/opposition-welcomes-dmk-mp-kanimozhis-arrest/153004-3.html
CWG scam: CBI files charge sheet against Kalmadi and others
In its over 50-page charge sheet, the CBI has accused Mr. Kalmadi as the key person with all the powers to take decisions regarding award of contracts.
The CBI today filed its first charge sheet in a Delhi court against sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, describing him as a "main accused" in a corruption case relating to irregularities in awarding a games-related contract to a Swiss firm.
The probe agency, in its over 50-page charge sheet, has accused Mr. Kalmadi as the key person with all the powers to take decisions regarding award of contracts.
"Mr. Kalmadi is the main accused as he was the person with all supreme powers. He had the supreme over riding powers in the Organising Committee of the CWG, 2010," the charge sheet said.
Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh took the charge sheet into record and fixed it for taking up the issue of cognisance on it on May 23.
Besides Mr. Kalmadi, the agency has named two companies and eight persons including OC former Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and former Director General V.K. Verma as accused and sought their prosecution under various provisions of the IPC, dealing with criminal conspiracy, forging documents and using fake documents as genuine.
According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly awarded the lucrative contract to the Swiss firm to install a Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) system for the Commonwealth Games at an exorbitant cost, causing a loss of over Rs. 90 crore to the exchequer.
Keywords: Suresh Kalmadi, CWG scam, Commonwealth scam, Kalmadi chargesheeted
Kanimozhi lodged in Tihar Jail
DMK MP Kanimozhi was on Friday lodged in a 15 ft x10 ft cell at the Tihar Jail after being sent there for her role in the 2G spectrum case, far from the air-conditioning and other comforts which she is used to at her palatial bungalow in Chennai's CIT colony.
43-year-old Kanimozhi was taken to Jail No. 6 by women personnel after a special CBI court rejected her bail plea and order her "forthwith" arrest.
A woman police personnel was seen holding Ms. Kanimozhi's hands when she was taken from the Patiala House complex.
According to jail officials, Ms. Kanimozhi will have access to a television set, newspapers, a ceiling fan and a cot in her 15ft x 10 ft cell.
Madhuri Gupta, a former official of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad arrested on charges of spying, Sonu Punjaban, arrested in the biggest prostitution network in Delhi and NCR through "word of mouth" and Sharda Jain, who was given a life term last year for her role in the murder of city councillor Atma Ram Gupta too are lodged in Jail No. 6.
Co-accused in the case Sharad Kumar, MD of Kalaignar TV, will be kept in Jail No 4.
Mr. Kumar will join former NALCO CMD Abhay Kumar Srivastava and sacked CWG Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in Jail No 4.
Keywords: Kanimozhi, judicial custody, 2G spectrum scam
Kanimozhi's arrest will not have any impact on coalition: Cong
Congress today said the arrest of DMK MP and M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case will not have any impact on the UPA coalition .
"There is going to be absolutely no impact on the coalition" due to the development, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
Singhvi, who was subjected to a volley of questions on the issue, insisted that it was not appropriate for a political party to comment on the orders of judiciary in such cases.
"It is a matter between the accused persons, relevant courts and the lawyers concerned," he said, adding that appropriate legal remedies are available to all the parties.
He denied suggestions that his response in the matter was 'cold' like a lawyer despite the fact that the DMK has been an ally of the Congress for the last seven years in the UPA.
A senior party leader, who declined to be identified, said that the arrest of Kanimozhi was 'not an unexpected development' in the present atmosphere when several others allegedly involved in the 2G scam have already been detained.
Seeking to dismiss the talk that the DMK could sever ties with the UPA in such a "difficult" situation, he said on the other hand the "question being asked to us is why you have not broken ties with the DMK? Why you are married to DMK and not AIADMK?"
Kanimozhi: Multi-faceted person neck deep in mega scam
Her name Kanimozhi means sweet words. But beyond her fluent communicative skills in English and Tamil, the 43-year-old daughter of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi has been a controversial power centre in the inner circles of the Dravidian party and its first family.
Kanimozhi, a first-term Rajya Sabha member, is considered close to her father and Andimuthu Raja , her party colleague and jailed former communications minister - the association landing her in Tihar Jail in the 2G a spectrum case Friday.
In the melodramatic Tamil Nadu culture - where cinema, television and literature interplay with politics - Kanimozhi is a sort of youth icon and cultural czarina, at least for her followers.
For them, she is an imaginative poet, prolific journalist, cultural ambassador, youth leader who helped thousands of unemployed find jobs and a patron of arts who provided platform for several talented artists to bloom.
Her admirers call her the "literary heir" to Karunanidhi, who began his career as a film script writer.
But critics and investigative agencies allege she was the "ears and eyes of Karunanidhi" during the 2G spectrum scam, which according to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) caused the national exchequer a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its charge sheet in the 2G spectrum case, has mentioned her closeness to Karunanidhi, which helped Raja retain the communications portfolio in the United Progressive Alliance-II (UPA) government too.
Media reports, quoting the infamous Niira Radia tapes had said Kanimozhi "tilted the scales in favour of Raja".
Kanimozhi is a 20-percent stake holder in the Karunanidhi family-owned Kalignar TV, which is accused by the CBI of receiving Rs.200 crore kickbacks in the 2G spectrum scandal.
An NGO linked with Kanimozhi is also accused of receiving huge donations from corporates involved in the spectrum scandal.
The CBI, which has named Kanimozhi as a co-conspirator in the spectrum scandal, has described her as "the brain behind the Kalignar TV", which has been used to siphon off 2G spectrum kickbacks.
M. K. Kanimozhi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Kanimozhi" redirects here. For the 2010 Tamil film, see Kanimozhi (film). Kanimozhi Karunanidhi Born 1 January 1968
Chennai, India Penalty Case for 2G spectrum scam ongoing Status Incarcerated at Tihar Jail
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (Tamil: கனிமொழி கருணாநிதி) (born 1968 in Chennai), is a politician and also a self claimed poet and journalist. She is a Member of Parliament, representing Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India's Parliament).[1]Kanimozhi is the daughter of the Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and Rajathi Ammal (Third wife of Karunanidhi).
Kanimozhi belongs to the South Indian Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) political party, where she functions as the chief of the DMK's wing for Art, Literature and Rationalism, and is seen as her father's "literary heir".[2] Her half-brothers M.K. Azhagiri and M. K. Stalin are the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Former Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu respectively.
Contents
[hide]
[edit]Early Life
Before her entry into politics, Kanimozhi was a involved in various instances of journalism, such as sub editor for The Hindu, editor in charge of Kungumam (a Tamil weekly magazine belonging to the Sun group), and a features editor for a Singapore based Tamil newspaper called Tamil Murasu.[2]
Kanimozhi has also written Tamil poetry.
[edit]Political Career
In July 2007, Kanimozhi was appointed to the Rajya Sabha of the Parliament of India. She functions as a member of the Committee on Health and Family Welfare, Committee on Rural Development, Committee on Empowerment of Women, Parliamentary Forum on Children Member, and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Human Resource Development.[1]
[edit]Interests
Kanimozhi has been known to support Pan Tamil issues, and in particular, Sri Lankan Tamils.[3] Kanimozhi also takes part in organizing various women empowerment programs,[4] and is also interested in the welfare of differently-abled people and transgenders. In 2005, along with Karthi Chidambaram, she founded a portal supporting free speech also has been involved spiritually with an spiritual guide in south india.[5] In 2007, Kanimozhi conceived the idea of the Chennai Sangamam, an annual open Tamil cultural festival, usually held during the Pongal season.
[edit]Job Fairs
She also spearheads[6] DMK efforts to organize Job Fairs, under the banner 'Kalaignar 85' across rural Tamil Nadu to facilitate employment opportunities for young people in smaller cities, towns and villages.[2] Begun as a small employment drive to mark the birthday of DMK President Kalaignar Karunanidhi in June 2008 at Kariyapatti (a village in Virudhunagar District) Job Fairs have provided jobs to about 70,000 unemployed(citation required) youth spread across five districts. Places it has been held at include Nagercoil,Vellore, Udhagamandalam, Virudhunagar, Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli. She plans to conduct similar job fairs all over Tamil Nadu.[7]
[edit]Literary works
- Sigarangalil Uraikiradhu Kaalam[8]
- Agathinai
- Paarvaigal
- Karukum Marudhaani
- Karuvarai Vaasanai
[edit]Singing career
Kanimozhi has worked on a production titled Silappadikaram based on a Tamil epic of the same name with Bombay Jayashri.[9]
[edit]Personal life
Kanimozhi was a student of Presentation Convent, Church Park in Chennai and later did her Masters in Economics in Ethiraj College for Women from the Madras University.[2]. She was married twice. First, she was married to Athiban Bose, a Businessman from Sivakasi in 1989. After her divorce she married G. Aravindaan, a Singapore based Tamil writer, in 1997.[10]
[edit]Controversy, Scams and Allegations
[edit]2G spectrum controversy
Main articles: Radia tapes controversy and 2G spectrum scam In November 2010 Outlook published transcripts of six conversations between lobbyist Niira Radia and Kanimozhi from May 2009.[11]India Today claims that these conversations reveal that Kanimozhi filtered the information flowing to her father (the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) and thereby "tipped the scales in favour of" A. Raja, who was Minister of Communications and Information Technologyduring controversial 2G wireless spectrum allocations in 2008.[12] The New York Times's Delhi correspondent Lydia Polgreen said Raja's rise to telecommunications minister was "emblematic" of how politics in India really work, with the DMK "more closely resembling a sprawling family business empire than a political party," and highlighted Mr. Raja's "close relationship" with Kanimozhi.[13]Raja was arrrested on February 2nd, 2011 for his alleged role in manipulating rules to allocate favourable spectrum to some telecom companies at throwaway prices. Police were too busy to arrest Kanimozhi.[14]
Following the Central Bureau of Investigation's raid on Tamil Maiyam, an NGO of which she is a director,[15] Kanimozhi said the DMK party will come out clean in the CBI probe, stating "The law has to take its own course. It is a process to prove us not guilty."[16] After the February 2nd arrest DMK party members and workers immediately passed a resolution declaring that the arrest doesn't mean Raja is guilty, and claimed opposition parties were targeting him for political purposes.[17]
On March 11, 2011, Kanimozhi was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation at the DMK headquarters in Chennai, in relation to an apparent flow of over Rs.200 crore from Shahid Balwa's DB Realty firm to Kalaignar TV, the regional Tamil channel in which Kanimozhi is alleged to have a 20 percent stake.[18]
The CBI has included Kanimozhi's name in the second chargesheet of the 2G scam[19] in relation to an apparent flow of over Rs.200 crore from Shahid Balwa's DB Realty firm to Kalaignar TV, the regional Tamil channel in which Kanimozhi is alleged to have a 20 percent stake.[20]
On May 20, 2011, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in New Delhi ordered the arrest of Kanimozhi along with Kalaingar TV CEO Sharad Kumar after rejecting their bail pleas.Kanimozhi arrested and she sent to Tihar jail.[21]
[edit]See also
Court postpones Kanimozhi hearing till May 20
[edit]References
- ^ a b "Detailed Profile: Smt. Kanimozhi". Govt. of India. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Kanimozhi: A poetess politician in trouble". Sify.com. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Kanimozhi the rising daughter in Tamil Nadu?
- ^ "Fight against injustice, Kanimozhi tells women". The Hindu (Chennai, India). March 24, 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Karuthu
- ^ V. Mallady, Shastry (November 11, 2008). "Private companies urged to participate in rural job fairs". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ DMK job fairs a big draw in rural areas
- ^ "Dravidian ideals will remain the central theme: Kanimozhi". The Hindu (Chennai, India). September 15, 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Classic in a new idiom
- ^ "A Wedding In The Family ......", Rediff News, retrieved 2010-12-09
- ^ "The Kanimozhi-Radia Tapes". OUTLOOKindia.com. November 18, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Ashish Khetan (December 17, 2010). "The Radia Tapes: Evidence destroys alibis". India Today. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Lydia Polgreen (November 22, 2010). "World view: Unlikely person at the heart of India's graft scandal". NDTV. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G: Raja Sent to Tihar Jail Under Judicial Custody". OUTLOOKindia.com. February 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Onkar Singh (December 15, 2010). "CBI raids Radia, Raja's friends; claims breakthough". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G probe won't hurt ties with Congress: Kanimozhi". The Economic Times. December 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G scam: Raja's arrest doesn't prove he is guilty, says DMK". The Indian Express. February 3, 2011.
- ^ "2G scam: CBI questions Kanimozhi, Karuna's wife Dayalu Ammal". The Times of India. March 11, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bojan/781412/
- ^ "2G scam: CBI questions Kanimozhi, Karuna's wife Dayalu Ammal". The Times of India. March 11, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/2g-scam-kanimozhis-bail-plea-rejected-by-cbi-court/articleshow/8463618.cms
Being a lady and a mother of a child, Mr Ram Jethmalani regrets
| Kanimozhi Karunanidhi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 January 1968 Chennai, India |
| Penalty | Case for 2G spectrum scam ongoing |
| Status | Incarcerated at Tihar Jail |
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (Tamil: கனிமொழி கருணாநிதி) (born 1968 in Chennai), is a politician and also a self claimed poet and journalist. She is a Member of Parliament, representing Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of India's Parliament).[1]Kanimozhi is the daughter of the Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and Rajathi Ammal (Third wife of Karunanidhi).
Kanimozhi belongs to the South Indian Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) political party, where she functions as the chief of the DMK's wing for Art, Literature and Rationalism, and is seen as her father's "literary heir".[2] Her half-brothers M.K. Azhagiri and M. K. Stalin are the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Former Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu respectively.
Contents[hide] |
[edit]Early Life
Before her entry into politics, Kanimozhi was a involved in various instances of journalism, such as sub editor for The Hindu, editor in charge of Kungumam (a Tamil weekly magazine belonging to the Sun group), and a features editor for a Singapore based Tamil newspaper called Tamil Murasu.[2]
Kanimozhi has also written Tamil poetry.
[edit]Political Career
In July 2007, Kanimozhi was appointed to the Rajya Sabha of the Parliament of India. She functions as a member of the Committee on Health and Family Welfare, Committee on Rural Development, Committee on Empowerment of Women, Parliamentary Forum on Children Member, and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Human Resource Development.[1]
[edit]Interests
Kanimozhi has been known to support Pan Tamil issues, and in particular, Sri Lankan Tamils.[3] Kanimozhi also takes part in organizing various women empowerment programs,[4] and is also interested in the welfare of differently-abled people and transgenders. In 2005, along with Karthi Chidambaram, she founded a portal supporting free speech also has been involved spiritually with an spiritual guide in south india.[5] In 2007, Kanimozhi conceived the idea of the Chennai Sangamam, an annual open Tamil cultural festival, usually held during the Pongal season.
[edit]Job Fairs
She also spearheads[6] DMK efforts to organize Job Fairs, under the banner 'Kalaignar 85' across rural Tamil Nadu to facilitate employment opportunities for young people in smaller cities, towns and villages.[2] Begun as a small employment drive to mark the birthday of DMK President Kalaignar Karunanidhi in June 2008 at Kariyapatti (a village in Virudhunagar District) Job Fairs have provided jobs to about 70,000 unemployed(citation required) youth spread across five districts. Places it has been held at include Nagercoil,Vellore, Udhagamandalam, Virudhunagar, Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli. She plans to conduct similar job fairs all over Tamil Nadu.[7]
[edit]Literary works
- Sigarangalil Uraikiradhu Kaalam[8]
- Agathinai
- Paarvaigal
- Karukum Marudhaani
- Karuvarai Vaasanai
[edit]Singing career
Kanimozhi has worked on a production titled Silappadikaram based on a Tamil epic of the same name with Bombay Jayashri.[9]
[edit]Personal life
Kanimozhi was a student of Presentation Convent, Church Park in Chennai and later did her Masters in Economics in Ethiraj College for Women from the Madras University.[2]. She was married twice. First, she was married to Athiban Bose, a Businessman from Sivakasi in 1989. After her divorce she married G. Aravindaan, a Singapore based Tamil writer, in 1997.[10]
[edit]Controversy, Scams and Allegations
[edit]2G spectrum controversy
In November 2010 Outlook published transcripts of six conversations between lobbyist Niira Radia and Kanimozhi from May 2009.[11]India Today claims that these conversations reveal that Kanimozhi filtered the information flowing to her father (the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) and thereby "tipped the scales in favour of" A. Raja, who was Minister of Communications and Information Technologyduring controversial 2G wireless spectrum allocations in 2008.[12] The New York Times's Delhi correspondent Lydia Polgreen said Raja's rise to telecommunications minister was "emblematic" of how politics in India really work, with the DMK "more closely resembling a sprawling family business empire than a political party," and highlighted Mr. Raja's "close relationship" with Kanimozhi.[13]Raja was arrrested on February 2nd, 2011 for his alleged role in manipulating rules to allocate favourable spectrum to some telecom companies at throwaway prices. Police were too busy to arrest Kanimozhi.[14]
Following the Central Bureau of Investigation's raid on Tamil Maiyam, an NGO of which she is a director,[15] Kanimozhi said the DMK party will come out clean in the CBI probe, stating "The law has to take its own course. It is a process to prove us not guilty."[16] After the February 2nd arrest DMK party members and workers immediately passed a resolution declaring that the arrest doesn't mean Raja is guilty, and claimed opposition parties were targeting him for political purposes.[17]
On March 11, 2011, Kanimozhi was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation at the DMK headquarters in Chennai, in relation to an apparent flow of over Rs.200 crore from Shahid Balwa's DB Realty firm to Kalaignar TV, the regional Tamil channel in which Kanimozhi is alleged to have a 20 percent stake.[18]
The CBI has included Kanimozhi's name in the second chargesheet of the 2G scam[19] in relation to an apparent flow of over Rs.200 crore from Shahid Balwa's DB Realty firm to Kalaignar TV, the regional Tamil channel in which Kanimozhi is alleged to have a 20 percent stake.[20]
On May 20, 2011, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in New Delhi ordered the arrest of Kanimozhi along with Kalaingar TV CEO Sharad Kumar after rejecting their bail pleas.Kanimozhi arrested and she sent to Tihar jail.[21]
[edit]See also
Court postpones Kanimozhi hearing till May 20
[edit]References
- ^ a b "Detailed Profile: Smt. Kanimozhi". Govt. of India. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Kanimozhi: A poetess politician in trouble". Sify.com. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Kanimozhi the rising daughter in Tamil Nadu?
- ^ "Fight against injustice, Kanimozhi tells women". The Hindu (Chennai, India). March 24, 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Karuthu
- ^ V. Mallady, Shastry (November 11, 2008). "Private companies urged to participate in rural job fairs". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ DMK job fairs a big draw in rural areas
- ^ "Dravidian ideals will remain the central theme: Kanimozhi". The Hindu (Chennai, India). September 15, 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ Classic in a new idiom
- ^ "A Wedding In The Family ......", Rediff News, retrieved 2010-12-09
- ^ "The Kanimozhi-Radia Tapes". OUTLOOKindia.com. November 18, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Ashish Khetan (December 17, 2010). "The Radia Tapes: Evidence destroys alibis". India Today. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Lydia Polgreen (November 22, 2010). "World view: Unlikely person at the heart of India's graft scandal". NDTV. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G: Raja Sent to Tihar Jail Under Judicial Custody". OUTLOOKindia.com. February 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ Onkar Singh (December 15, 2010). "CBI raids Radia, Raja's friends; claims breakthough". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G probe won't hurt ties with Congress: Kanimozhi". The Economic Times. December 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
- ^ "2G scam: Raja's arrest doesn't prove he is guilty, says DMK". The Indian Express. February 3, 2011.
- ^ "2G scam: CBI questions Kanimozhi, Karuna's wife Dayalu Ammal". The Times of India. March 11, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bojan/781412/
- ^ "2G scam: CBI questions Kanimozhi, Karuna's wife Dayalu Ammal". The Times of India. March 11, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/2g-scam-kanimozhis-bail-plea-rejected-by-cbi-court/articleshow/8463618.cms
Being a lady and a mother of a child, Mr Ram Jethmalani regrets
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