Thaindian News

Chennai, April 24 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must charge sheet the entire family of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, not just his daughter Kanimozhi and managing director of Kalaignar TV Sharad Kumar, AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa said Monday.

In a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa said: “…the Rs.214 crore paid by (Shahid) Balwa was a clear bribe to Karunanidhi. The beneficiaries of the bribe, if the CBI had not filed a case, would have been the entire Karunanidhi family. As such, the interests of justice would be served only if all the members of the Karunanidhi family, starting with the patriarch himself, are named in the charge sheet.”

The CBI Monday named Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and Kumar as a co-conspirators in the case involving the award of second generation (2G) phone spectrum.

Kalaignar TV, promoted by Karunanidhi’s second wife M.K. Dayalu Ammal, and his daughter Kanimozhi by third wife Rajathi came under the CBI scanner for receiving Rs.214 crore from Cineyug Films which is connected to Shahid Usman Balwa of Swan Telecom.

While Dayalu owns 60 percent stake in the company’s equity, the balance 40 percent is equally shared between Kanimozhi and Kumar.

Jayalalithaa said Dayalu and Kanimozhi do not hold their stakes in Kalaignar TV in their individual capacities.

“They are figureheads, representing larger interests. Kanimozhi represents herself and her mother Rajathi. So the 20 percent stake she holds in Kalaignar TV in reality belongs equally to both of them,” Jayalalithaa said.

“Similarly, the 60 percent in the name of Dayalu Ammal represents the combined stake-holding of six individuals - Dayalu Ammal herself, her husband Karunanidhi and their children, M.K. Azhagiri, M.K. Stalin, M.K. Selvi and M.K. Thamizharasu,” Jayalalithaa charged.

She said there is no justification for Balwa to pay Rs.214 crore to a just-launched Tamil TV channel in which he has no other interest, unless he had been asked to do so by former communications minister A. Raja as a quid pro quo for allotment of 2G spectrum licence.

“Raja need not make a demand for such a payment to Kalaignar TV, an entity in which he is not involved, unless he had been specifically asked to do so by his party leader, Karunanidhi,” Jayalalithaa said.