After acquittal in 2G case, Raja, Kanimozhi reach Chennai, meet Karunanidhi
Chennai: Two days after the special court in Delhi acquitted former telecom minister A Raja and Rajya Sabha MP and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief daughter Kanimozhi along with others in 2G scam case, Raja and Kanimozhi arrived in Chennai on Saturday.
The city along with the airport wore a festive look as people and DMK supporters gathered in large numbers to welcome Raja and Kanimozhi.
The airport was all decked up with DMK flags in order to mark their return from Delhi.
They were received by DMK's working president MK Stalin, who is the brother of Kanimozhi.
Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters gather at Chennai Airport as Kanimozhi & A. Raja arrive, they were recently acquitted in the #2GScam case. pic.twitter.com/2vdLA3VdE4
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017
A sea of party workers, most of them wearing white shirts, cheered as Kanimozhi, emerged from the airport, hands folded and a smile on her face.
Soon after landing in Chennai, Raja and Kanimozhi headed straight to DMK chief Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram to meet him, where dozens of excited party workers were waiting in a show of strength to celebrate by beating drums and dancing to their pleasure.
Tamil Nadu: DMK workers & supporters also gather near M.Karunanidhi's residence in Chennai's Gopalapuram for Kanimozhi's arrival. pic.twitter.com/DCDKOKLAjm
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017
On Thursday, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had acquitted all the accused in the scam.
The CBI had announced it would challenge the verdict, citing the court might not have appreciated the evidence in its proper perspective.
The two DMK leaders were among the others acquitted of corruption and money-laundering when mobile network licences were issued in 2008. A special court in Delhi said the CBI failed to provide any evidence of a conspiracy among politicians, bureaucrats and top corporate executives.
Chennai: Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi reaches father Karunanidhi's residence in Gopalapuram after being acquitted in #2GScam pic.twitter.com/RsTWasQOaF
— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017
The telecom scandal, named the 2G scam after the second-generation airwaves involved, played a large role in the perception of Dr Manmohan Singh's government as seeped in corruption. The DMK was a key member of the Congress-led national coalition. They also contested last year's election in Tamil Nadu together, only to be emphatically defeated by J Jayalalithaa and her AIADMK.
The CBI said it would take legal opinion after going through the copy of the verdict pronounced by the Patiala House Court acquitting all the accused in the alleged multi-thousand crore rupee 2G spectrum allocation scam.
In its chargesheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.
The court had in October 2011 framed charges against them under various provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using as genuine fake documents, abusing official position, criminal misconduct by public servant and taking a bribe.
