In anticipation of what could happen on May 6, when she appears before the CBI court in connection with the 2G scam, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s daughter Kanimozhi landed in Delhi on Wednesday. Her husband Aravindan and son Aditya accompanied her to the capital. She is all set to be joined by her mother Rajathi Ammal late in the night.
Besides, the IT minister of Tamil Nadu, Ms Poongodhai Aladi Aruna, and the home secretary of Tamil Nadu, Mr Gnanadesikan, are to flying down to the national capital to be by her side. This is seen as a move to express solidarity with the beleaguered MP.
According to sources, one Mr Natrajan, a renowned criminal lawyer, is to represent her in the case. His juniors have already begun doing the spadework in the national capital on the case.
Kanimozhi was named as an accused, in addition to four others in the supplementary chargesheet that was filed in the special CBI court on April 25. The CBI also charged Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Karim Morani of Cineyug Films, Rajiv Agarwal of Kusegaon Realty and Asif Balwa (brother of Shahid Usman Balwa). Taking cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI, Patiala House Court special judge O.P. Saini asked Kanimozhi and four others to appear before it on May 6. However, Dayalu Ammal, wife of Karunanidhi and stepmother of Kanimozhi, has not been named in the chargesheet. From a total of 29 witnesses — from witness number 126 to 154 — in its supplementary charge sheet, the CBI named Dayalu Ammal, as witness number 143.
Besides, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Kanimozhi and four others, named as accused by the CBI in its supplementary chargesheet, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. They are likely to appear before the agency next week.
A high-level DMK meeting that took place in Chennai immediately after she was named in the chargesheet resolved to back Kanimozhi to the hilt. According to sources, the DMK that threatened to pull out of the Union ministry citing differences over seat-sharing arrangements, finally had to give in owing to its dependence on the Centre in the case. According to sources, the developments in this case could re-define the relationship between the Congress and the DMK. Also, the outcome of the Assembly polls would have an effect on the tie-up.