2G scam chargesheet: Dayaluammal may not figure after all

New Delhi:  In Chennai, the First Family of the DMK is preparing for a hellish day. There are conflicting reports over whether two of its members - Kanimozhi and Dayaluammal - are likely to be named in a  chargesheet that the CBI will present in a Delhi court for India's largest ever scam - the 2G spectrum scam. DMK sources say that for now, the party will not opt out of the UPA coalition at the centre, where it is a senior partner with six ministers.
The DMK's A Raja - former Telecom Minister - is already in jail for selling spectrum and mobile network licenses in 2008 to companies that should not have qualified.

Kanimozhi is the daughter of DMK Chief  M Karunanidhi; Dayaluammal is his second wife.  Together, the two women own 80% of Kalaignar TV, a local channel that allegedly became the resting place for a massive kickback being sent to Mr Raja by a grateful telecom company he obliged as part of the 2G scam.   Dayaluammal  is mother to MK Alagiri and MK Stalin, who are reportedly furious about media reports that she may figure in today's chargesheet. 

The CBI says that Shahid Balwa of Swan Telcom sent a cheque for 214 crores to Mr Raja.  It was routed through a maze of companies all linked to Mr Balwa - like Cineyug Films and Kusegaon Realty.  Mr Balwa is already in jail.  So is his partner, Vinod Goenka.  Likely to join him are the top executives at Cineyug and Kusegaon -  Karim Morani and Mr Balwa's brother, Asif,  among others.

The cheque was deposited with Kalaignar TV.  During her interrogation earlier this year, Kanimozhi, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, said the money was intended as a payment for equity, but was returned with interest after the deal wavered.

Whether voters in Tamil Nadu care about the 2G scam will be known on May 13 when the results for the state election are declared - voting was held on April 13.  The DMK has fought the elections in an alliance with the Congress. And while sources say the partnership is under significant strain because of the 2G investigation, it will not collapse.  The Congress, however, will have the firm upper hand as it negotiates for  share of power if the alliance wins. 

Sources in the DMK say the party knows that with its senior-most members linked so closely to the 2G scam, it needs any cover the Congress may be able to offer.

The first chargesheet in the 2G scam was presented a few weeks ago by the CBI - it led to some of India's senior-most executives at different telecom companies like Unitech Wireless and Reliance Telecom (of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group) being arrested.  Since last week, they have been in jail; their application for bail are scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High court tomorrow.