Even as the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the appeal filed by AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa seeking to set aside the Karnataka High Court order declining to quash the proceedings in the disproportionate assets case to be listed for hearing on March 19, the Tamil Nadu government gave an undertaking that cross-examination of 42 witnesses, who were recalled, would not commence on March 18.
A three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Deepak Verma and Justice B.S. Chauhan fixed the date of hearing after senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and counsel A. Navaneethakrishnan mentioned for early listing on the ground that cross-examination of witnesses was to begin on March 18. However, senior counsel Altaf Ahmed, appearing for Tamil Nadu, gave an undertaking that the Public Prosecutor would be informed not to commence the cross-examination on that date.
Ms. Jayalalithaa assailed the March 10 order rejecting her plea for quashing the trial even as the trial court had issued directions for recall and examination of 42 witnesses by the prosecution between March 18 and 27. She said she was innocent.
