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Indian Supreme Court refuses bail to woman MP in telecom scamNEW DELHI, Jun 20, 2011 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- India's highest judiciary, the Supreme Court, Monday refused granting bail to a woman Member of Parliament (MP) who is an accused in the multi-billion-dollar telecom scam, an official said. The southern India-based Kalaignar TV's managing director Sharad Kumar, a co-accused in the scam, has also been declined bail in the same case, he said pleading anonymity. The apex court dismissed the bail plea of Kanimozhi, MP of the southern state of Tamil Nadu-based DMK party which is an ally of India's ruling United Progressive Alliance-led government, in the 2G spectrum scam. However, the Supreme Court gave the 43-year-old woman MP the right to go back to the special court that's trying the telecom scam, and apply for bail under a provision that allows for " leniency for women, children and old people in matters of bail", the official said. The court said that both can approach the special court of Central Bureau of Investigation, the country's premier probe agency, for bail after charges were framed against them. The CBI has accused both of them for being involved in the illegal transaction of 2 billion rupees (40 million U.S. dollars) to Kalaignar TV which was alleged to be a bribe given by a telecom operator which benefited in the scam in which former Telecom Minister A Raja is an alleged benefactor. Raja is currently in jail in the same case. |