On Feb. 14, the supreme court (SC) convicted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary VK Sasikala Natarajan in a 21-year-old illegal assets case.
Advertisement
The state of Karnataka had earlier filed an appeal against the High Court’s verdict of acquitting Jayalalithaa and the others accused of holding assets of six companies. Following concerns over her political influence skewing the case, it was shifted to neighbouring Karnataka, where a trial court found the accused guilty in 2014.
Justice Roy, in a concurring judgment, expressed deep concern over the “escalating menace of corruption in society”. In the meanwhile Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016 and the appeal will abate as far as she is concerned.
“Nevertheless, we reiterate that having regard to the facts, the charge framed against them by the trial court is restored”, the bench said. The two judges’ bench has set aside the High Court order and upheld the charges framed by the trail court. Thus it is indeed the case of justice delayed but not of justice denied. She expelled her party colleague within a couple of hours of the Supreme Court ruling.
Loyalist and Highways Minister Edappady K Palaniswami has been chosen as the Legislature Party leader at a meeting chaired by Sasikala.
Sasikala has already served prison term of 6 months in the jail, so she will only have to serve three and half years in prison. The two others are her nephew Sudhakaran, who is Ms. Jayalalithaa’s disowned foster son, and her close relative Ilavarasi.
“Whenever there was trouble for Amma, Sasikala accepted it as hers”.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the percentage of disproportionate assets as 8.12 per cent as computed by the high court is based on completely wrong reading of evidence. I have been with Amma (Jayalalithaa) for 33 years and I am used to threats. Court ordered to surrender in 4 weeks. The court held that Sasikala was closely related to J Jayalalithaa and so the conspiracy has been proved.
Advertisement
Karnataka government, in its plea against the May 11 previous year order, claimed that HC had erred in computing disproportionate assets of the AIADMK leader.
