A special court order that acquitted A Raja and Knimozhi in the 2G scam. The ED challenged the order and moved Delhi HC against the acquittals. Raja and Kanimozhi weren’t the only ones acquitted on December 21st of last year, 17 others were acquitted too.
The charge sheet prepared ED, alleged that 200 crores were paid to Swan Telecom (P) Ltd. who were promoters tot he DMK-run Kalaignar TV. The 17 others acquitted included, DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka of STPL, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Aggarwal of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd., film producer Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, Director of Kalaignar TV.
The scam resulted in a loss of 30,984 crores to the exchequer for the allotment of licenses on the 2G spectrum. These were scrapped on February 2nd, 2012. The judge O.P. Saini was of the opinion that the prosecution was not able to prove charges. The court has also acquitted the Essar Group promoters, Ravi Kant Ruia and Anshuman Ruia and six others in another case that arose out of the 2G scam.
The special court was set up on March 14th, 2011, exclusively for hearing the 2G case. In the CBI probe, Raja, Kanimozhi, and 15 others were tried under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act which deals with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forging, using fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking bribe, it was reported.
It’s not sure though whether the CBI will file an FIR but they said they had the documentary evidence to do so. But it seems that Kanimozhi and Raja’s woes are still not over. For the past seven years, this case has been open and challenged, it’ll have to be some solid evidence in the ED’s hands to reverse the acquittal.