SC refuses to exempt Karunanidhi's wife as witness in 2G case

The Supreme Court today refused to exempt DMK chief M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal from deposing as a witness in the 2G scam case but exempted her from personal appearance in trial court and directed that she be examined by a commission in Chennai.

"No question of her exemption arises," a bench of justices GS Singhvi and KS Radhakrishnan said when the counsel appearing for Ammal's daughter said she is not fit to depose.

The bench said the according to a medical board report, she is unfit to depose as a witness before the court as she cannot travel and asked the special CBI court hearing the 2G case, to appoint a commission to examine her in the case in Chennai where she resides.

"We are satisfied that the purpose would be served by appointing a commission to examine her in Chennai," the bench said. Earlier, the apex court had on July 10 directed AIIMS director to constitute a medical board to examine whether Ammal is medically fit to depose as a witness before the special court.

Karunanidhi's daughter and DMK MP Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar, Managing Director of the TV channel, are also facing trial in the case along with former Telecom Minister A Raja, DB Realty Ltd MD Vinod Goenka and others.

The bench passed the order on a plea filed by Ammal's daughter Selvi seeking court's direction to exempt her mother from appearing before the trial court as prosecution witness on medical ground.