Enforcement Directorate challenges acquittal of 2G culprits

March 20, 2018

The ED moved to the Delhi high court on 19.03.2018 challenging the acquittal of former Union telecom minister A. Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi among others in a money laundering case in the 2G spectrum scam. On December 21, 2017, a special CBI court had acquitted Raja and 18 others, including DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal and daughter Kanimozhi, for the offence of money laundering. The court had also ordered the release of attached properties in the case worth Rs. 223 crore. Moreover, CBI has also filed the same appeal today itself. The ED's appeal, filed by its joint director Rajeshwar Singh, said the “ special judge committed a grave error by acquitting the accused of the offence under Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of acquittal in the CBI case and without applying mind and considering the PMLA offence as a separate, independent and standalone offence to be tried and adjudicated.” The appeal further said the special court failed to “ appreciate the facts and evidences& hellip and ignored the gravity of the offence and the role of the respondents as well as proved testimonies of the 24 witnesses and documents establishing money trail in the serious offence of money laundering” . The ED said the CBI court “ casually ignored the proved evidence through documents as well as supported by the testimony of witnesses that Rs. 43.75 crore cash was given for accommodation by taking cheque of the equal amount” . The money trail mentioned by the ED was cited in its charge sheet filed earlier in the CBI court. In the charge sheet, it had cited 6 transactions between December 23, 2008, and August 11, 2009, through which “ illegal gratification” of Rs. 200 crore was transferred to Kalaignar TV, controlled by Kanimozhi and Dayalu Ammal.