The alleged Rs. 200 crore bribe that is linked to Kanimozhi and could force her into jail was the topic of discussion today as the young MP met income tax officials in Chennai.
Kanimozhi, whose father is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, is accused of conspiring with former Telecom Minister A Raja, now in jail, of accepting a massive kickback via the TV channel she owns in the state.
Kanimozhi has been chargesheeted by the CBI and has applied for bail in the special Delhi court that's trying the 2G scam, described as India's largest swindle.
A decision on her bail application is expected on Saturday. Tomorrow, the results for the Tamil Nadu elections will be declared, and it will be known if the 2G scam that has shadowed the DMK party has turned voters against M Karunanidhi and his family.
Kanimozhi has argued via her lawyer in court that she was not an active manager of the financial affairs of Kalaignar TV, in which she owns 20% stake. Ram Jethmalani, who is representing her, said that she is being targeted because she is the Chief Minister's daughter, and that she should get bail because she is a woman.
She told NDTV in an interview last week that she is "prepared for the worst."
Tax officials say she could have deputed a representative for today's meeting, but she chose to attend the discussion herself.
A Raja, who is a senior DMK leader, allegedly gave spectrum and mobile network licenses at bizarrely low prices in 2008 when he was Telecom Minister to companies that are now being investigated for foreign exchange violations and money-laundering. A company that he favoured- Swan Telecom- has been accused of sending him Rs. 214 crore via Kalaignar TV.
Both Kanimozhi and Kalaignar's Sharath Kumar, the Managing Director, have denied that the money was a kickback from the 2G scam. They say it was part of an equity deal that fell apart; the money was returned with interest, they have claimed. However, the CBI which is investigating the 2G scam says the crore were sent back only after Mr Raja began being questioned about his alleged conspiracy.
Mr Kumar also met with income tax officials in Chennai today.
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