CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s friend, Sasikala, has moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash Foreign Exchange Regulation Act proceedings initiated against her in 1996.
Justice V. Dhanapalan, before whom the petition filed by Ms. Sasikala came up for hearing on Tuesday, issued notice and adjourned the matter to September 18 for further proceedings.
Decrying the “enormous delay and laches” on the part of the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate, the petitioner contended that it was not proper to keep the proceedings pending for over 10 years and “suddenly issue a notice for conducting the hearing, that too without any particulars as to the examination of witnesses at a distant place like Delhi.”
She sought to quash the proceedings on the grounds of laches (undue delay) and failure to disclose the list of witnesses even after a court directive to that effect. Pointing out that the FERA was repealed with effect from June 1, 2000, Ms. Sasikala said, “It is unfortunate that the proceedings are sought to be proceeded with after 10 years, that too in respect of an Act which stood repealed seven years ago.”
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