A Raja, Kanimozhi, acquitted in 2G scam, get rousing welcome in Chennai

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers on Saturday gathered at Chennai Airport to welcome A Raja and Kanimozhi who were recently acquitted in the 2G scam case.

Pic Courtesy: ANI

CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) workers on Saturday gathered at the Chennai International Airport for the grand welcome of A Raja and Kanimozhi, who were recently acquitted in the 2G scam case.

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 airport was all decked up with party flags in order to mark their return from Delhi.

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

The party supporters also gathered near the residence of M Karunanidhi in Gopalapuram. They celebrated 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, including A Raja and another DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi.

The CBI had announced it would challenge the verdict, citing the court may have had not appreciated the evidence in its proper perspective.

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, the CBI had said.

Reactions from the probe agency came after Special Court Judge OP Saini had acquitted all 17 accused in all the cases filed by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The alleged scam on the issuance of licences and allocation of 2G spectrum by the Department of Telecom occurred during the Congress-led UPA government's first tenure in 2008 but was widely reported in 2010 following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

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.

All the accused facing trial in these cases had denied allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.

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.