New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS): The rejection of DMK MP Kanimozhi's bail application was a slap in the face of the CBI, which had not opposed her plea, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Thursday.
"The change of stunts by CBI in Kanimozhi's case is very shocking. The court hasn't taken cognizance of CBI plea; it is a slap on the face of the CBI. Even when they have not opposed Kanimozhi bail application, the court has not granted her bail," BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj said.
The BJP leader said it was shocking how the CBI had tried to differentiate between various people accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
"In the case of Kanimozhi, they had decided not to oppose the bail application and in other case they had other stunts and it is unacceptable. Unfortunately, this followed a meeting between DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi," he said.
Punj said the decision of the court had to be seen in view of the enormity of the crime and the status of the accused, who are "powerful persons within the system and each one of them capable of influencing the investigation".
The bail pleas of Kanimozhi and seven others accused in the 2G spectrum allotment scam were Thursday dismissed by a CBI special court here. They will continue to be lodged in Tihar Jail.
The CBI had not opposed the bail pleas of Kanimozhi, Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar, directors of Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal and Bollywood producer Karim Morani on the ground that they faced specific charges, apart from the "umbrella section" of 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC, which entail five years sentence as maximum punishment.
The agency has also slapped charges of criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of IPC which carries life term as maximum punishment, against Kanimozhi and four others.
The agency, however, had opposed the bail pleas of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, former communications minister A. Raja's ex-private secretary R.K. Chandolia and former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura.