New Delhi, April 9 (IANS): The doctor of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal on Thursday told a special court hearing a money laundering case related to 2G spectrum allocation case that she is suffering from from Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases since long.
Testifying as a defence witness in the case, Doctor P. Gopal told Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge O P. Saini that he has been treating Dayalu Ammal, who is now 82, for the last 27 years and she is suffering from multiple ailments which are mostly age-related.
He added that in 2012, she was suffering from behavioural changes and experts opined that that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease (dementia).
Dayalu Ammal was admitted in National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) at Bengaluru for treatment.
She is still under treatment as her condition has not improved and her condition is deteriorating, the doctor said.
During the cross-examination, special public prosecutor Anand Grover asked Gopal whether he was an expert on dementia but he said he was not.
He also said: "I see her (Dayalu Ammal) in my professional capacity and not as a friend of the (Karunanidhi) family. I have not developed a rapport either with the family or with the patient."
Dayalu Ammal's lawyers had maintained that she was not involved in the day-to-day affairs of accused firm Kalaignar TV.
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that around Rs.200 crore were paid by the promoters of Swan Telecom, using their group firm Dynamix Realty, to Kalaignar TV via Kusegaon and Cineyug in the garb of a legitimate financial transaction.
The charge sheet said the payment was illegal gratification for, and on behalf of, former communications minister A. Raja and his associates in lieu of illegal favours to Swan Telecom for the grant of a telecom licence.
The court on October 31 framed charges of money laundering against Raja, his party colleague and DMK parliamentarian Kanimozhi and others.
Dayalu Ammal, her daughter Kanimozhi, Raja and Kalaignar TV's Sharad Kumar and P. Amirthan with others are facing trial in the case.