Kanimozhi, Raja chargesheeted in money laundering

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini framed the charges Friday. The accused have been booked under various sections dealing with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Others who were formally charged by the Enforcement Directorate included Swan telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar and P. Amirthan.

The above companies, as also Cineyug Media and Entertainment, Kalaignar TV, Dynamix Realty, Eversmile Construction, Conwood Construction and Developers, DB Realty and Nihar Construction were also booked.

The directorate said it came to light that an amount of Rs.200 crore was paid by the promoters of Swan Telecom, using their group firm Dynamix Realty, to Kalaignar TV via Kusegaon and Cineyug in the garb of a legitimate financial transaction.

The accused tried to pass the payment off as a loan/share application money, it said.

The payment, the charge sheet said, was illegal gratification for, and on behalf of, Raja and his associates in lieu of illegal favours given to the Swan Telecom for the grant of telecom licence, the Enforcement Directorate contended.