 Rs 52 crore of the Rs 230 crore that DMK-controlled Kalaignar TV repaid to 2G accused Shahid Balwa came from 19 Kolkata-based firms with fictitious addresses that are not traceable, senior tax officials told the Joint Parliamentary Committee on telecom on Wednesday.
Kalaignar TV played a key link in the 2G or telecom scam, according to the CBI, which says the channel became the resting place for a 200-crore kickback in 2008 from Swan Telecom to then telecom minister A Raja.
As a result, Kanimozhi, who owns 80% of the channel along with her step-mother Dayaluammal, was jailed for seven months and is being tried for charges that include criminal conspiracy and cheating. Like Raja, Kanimozhi is a leader of the DMK party, headed by Karunanidhi.
After the scandal came undone, the DMK-owned channel paid back the money to Balwa and claimed that this was a usual business transaction. While Kalaignar TV was able to account for Rs 150 crore returned to Balwa, the remaining sum of Rs 52 crore has come under scanner. I-T officials deposed before JPC that the 17 Kolkata-based companies, which paid this amount to Kalaignar TV, do not exist.
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