Live chat: Jayalalithaa's acquittal in disproportionate assets case

May 11, 2015 11:11 am | Updated November 17, 2021 01:04 am IST

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was acquitted of all charges in the Disproportionate Assets case by Karnataka High Court on Monday. In September 2014, she was sentenced to four years prison sentence and Rs. 100 crore fine was imposed.

Comment From Guest

Acquitted ? That means what happens to the assets accumulated????

Comment From Ramarajan

Can DMK or Su.Swamy can approach Apex court?

Comment From Guest

can she contest in 2016 elections ??

Comment From Arunkumar Ramadass

Can Ms. Jayalalitha become the CM of Tamil Nadu right away? or after any by election?

Comment From Guest

Does that means all assets accumulated are legal

KV : The attachment on the assets will be lifted after the period for appeal and will remain with their owners

Comment From Guest

Will there be appeal in SC or the case is closed?

Comment From Ravi

is this because she was not guilty or she could not proven guilty because of lack of evidences ?

KV : She can be elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party now and can be sworn in CM. she will have to enter the Assembly through an election within six months

Comment From Guest

Will DMK be allowed to file an appeal ?

Comment From Guest

I guess she becomes the CM as soon as possible

Comment From Guest1

End Game for DMK, PMK et al for the next assembly election?

Comment From Ramesh

She can now keep the assets

KV : The details of the judgment are not available yet, but it is possible that the Court ruled that the assets don't belong to her

Comment From Guest

What was the reason for their acquittal when the original convicting judgement was elaborative and well docuemnted?

KV : We will have to wait for the full judgment for such details.

Comment From Frustated Indian

How come one court finds guilty of the accused and the other court acquits the accused having all the evidence against him/her? Why two interpretations of the same evidence?

KV : That's a good question. But it is possible that the High Court took note of legal points in defence -- such as income tax department' acceptance of returns bars further enquiry into the ownership of assets. Once this question is answered in favour of the accused, the evidence does not matter.

Comment From Aditya

Is it a bad omen for the DMK and other parties?? What is the exact verdict given by the high court judge with regards to this decade old case??

Comment From Guest

It took 18yrs to give initial verdict, while only 6 months for the appeal in high court. If for argument sake, lets say DMK appeals in apex court. Will we get a verdict (which might overturn this and send her again to jail) in a short period of time, say 6 months??

KV : Yes, it is possible that the appeal can be taken up within months, if one is filed by the Karnataka government

Comment From Hariharan Neelakantan

Everything depends on how supreme court disposes her bail petition tomorrow. It will be wise for her and her partymen not to jump for conclusions. Always patience will reward.

KV : The bail petition is infructuous. That was kept open only in the event of the High Court judgment being delayed beyond May 12.

Comment From Ravi

Does it mean with time meaning of evidences also change ?

Comment From Aditya

Is it scripted and well documented situation and whether it will a boon or bane for the people who are put to so much of hardships for this political game in TN??

Comment From Guest

So Justice Cunha was entirely wrong in his judgement . How can a judge find them all guilty and the other say no one is guilty , So Was the other judge biased. Completely confused by our Judiciary system.

Comment From ponmani

On what basis is she accquited? Things changed in 8months?

Comment From B Ganga Raju Hyderabad

Thank Karnataka High Court for preventing break down of law and order in TN. Politics in TN are always built around mass hysteria.

Comment From Guest

justice delayed is justice denied...hence proved !!

Comment From gans

The problem with Cunha's judgement was with the quantum of punishment . It clearly indicated something more than what was visible to the eye

Comment From chandrabasu.d

When one appreciates conviction and lauds judiciary, he/she should be equally unbiased of the acquittal verdict as well.

Comment From Indian

People who criticize this judgment are ignorant of the vitiated atmosphere and political environment of TN, created largely by a vindictive politics pursued by DMK after the death of MGR. As long as MGR was alive, DMK would not dare to lift their little finger. Post his death, the disgrace which happened in the Assembly and their attempts by all means hook and crook to discredit her and dislodge her, have been futile; culmination of all that is this case. Being a single woman, DMK felt that they could twist the facts to their advantage. With all her shortcomings, she and her party are a better choice for TN compared to the divisive and utterly corrupt DMK and the family which leads that.

aravind : Aditya: It is a setback to the Opposition in Tamil Nadu. The details of the verdict will be known only in the evening.

Comment From drb

@Ganga Raju - are you sure Karnataka is free from mass hysteria? Please don't bring hysteria etc on JJ. She deserves this win and has done lots of good things for TN people.

Comment From Labki

A moment when you feel worse and ashamed for being an Indian and living in India. Politicians have successfully corrupted the courts and judicial system. Cant believe in Indian courts any more. Courts have become a place where you need to put appropriate people at appropriate place and appropriate time to get the judgement you want. The entire credit for this transformation goes to the current central government.

Comment From Yashwanth P

Sir, what will now happen to Doctor Subramaniam Swamy? I mean, will JJ leave him alone from now on?

Comment From Guest

Is she eligible to enter public life again as once arrested chief minister

Comment From drb

Although corruption still exists in TN, it isn't as profound as other parties. And she hasn't taken anything for herself as with other parties who have swindled for generations after generations spanning maybe centuries for future.

Comment From Indian

JJ's each tenure has turned out to be better than previous ones; she may not publicly acknowledge that she made mistakes but the actions speak louder. The current tenure where she focused on Amma canteens is icing on the cake. In a poor country, she has the pulse of the people. If she expans that scheme and work with Modi on improving power situation, build better relations with neighboring States to get more reasonable river water sharing, the Family which has monopolised the wealth accumulation in TN politics will be forced to retire just like the Family at natyional level.

Comment From Hopeful Indian

Precise words from Mr. Labki. Makes one feel sick!

aravind : Guest: yes. she can. she can be elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party now and can be sworn in CM and get elected from a constituency within six months. but there are no indications of that yet.

Comment From Amith

Can we have a debate between the previous Judge who ordered the punishment and the present judge who negated, supporting their respective judgments? How do common people know which judge is correct? And what happens to the one who is wrong in giving judgments?

Comment From john

Is there any studies/statistics on Indian judicial verdicts for "acquittal vs convicted"?

Comment From Indian

Those who fault the judiciary because of this judgment, you go by the result and not by the process? If you do not trust a High Court but will prefer only trial courts, why do not you vote fr a party which winds up all High Courts and SC?

Comment From Hopeful Indian

Don't you think Arun Jaitley's recent visit was an indication of this outcome?

Comment From Hopeful Indian

Don't you think Arun Jaitley's recent visit was an indication of this outcome?

Comment From Indian

What rubbish linking Jaitely's visit to the HC judgment? Where do you live, Gopalapuram 1st Street?

Comment From Tamilan

@Indian So you mean to say that the trial court took so many years to convict her just for the sake of convicting?

Comment From Shameful Indian

Those who amass wealth illegally get off scot-free and those who do the same in small amounts are jailed. Injustice served.

Comment From Guest

An appeal to supreme court is a must....

Comment From Indian

Samething happened when Modi was acquitted, the fault was laid at the doors of the courts. So people prefer courts which give judgments according to what they like. How about dismissing all courts and only have MK and Sonia to run courts?

Comment From Confused Common Man

Puzzled with the verdict. What happen to the findings of the trial court judge? huge difference in the verdict

KV : The findings have been set aside

Comment From Common man

Is there any possibility jayalalitha again become CM?

KV : Yes. She is right now eligible.

Comment From Indian

So every appeal turned down by higher courts, the judges are bad, the judiciary is biased...We should move the parliament to abolish all courts other than trail courts at the lowest level... wonderful logic!

Comment From Tamilan

@Indian You are biased towards your political affiliation and are happy to see your leader acquitted. That's it. Just because people disagree with the verdict doesn't mean they are pro MK or pro SG

Comment From chandrabasu.d

Instead of casting aspersions on judiciary and attributing different causes for the outcome, everyone shall wait for the details of judgement and the factors the Judge relied on to base his conclusion. Moreover the complainants will be preferring appeals against the acauittal veridict and let the TOP court of the country decide the case .

Comment From Guest

Who all can make an appeal to the Honble Supreme court challenging the order passed by the Honble High Court of Karnataka?

KV : Primarily, it is the State of Karnataka which has to appeal against this verdict. In addition, Subramanian Swamy as the original complainant, can also appeal. DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan, as the intervenor in this case who got it transferred to Karnataka and whose submissions were part of the record during trial and appeal, may also appeal.

Comment From R.H. Jafar Sadiq

It will be interesting to see the explanation the Honorable Judge gives supporting the judgement. Hear its 900 pages long..

Comment From Anbukkarasu

Can the common man appeal against this verdict? It was evident from the yesteryear's events that she had misused her power as the chief minister and conducted the marriage in very lavish way. She behaved as if she was the queen of the TN. As a man with neutral thinking , I am not satisfied with the verdict. Can I appeal.

KV : Interesting question. Normally, third party appeals are not allowed in criminal matters.

Comment From R.H. Jafar Sadiq

At least all the stalled projects in TN will commence.. a relief of sorts to the people..

Comment From Ramki

I am glad this judgement should enable the official machinery to start implementing committed projects that were stalled since Sep 2014.

Comment From ndeepd

I have couple of doubts....First what about the position of lower courts if their findings are usually negated..we should have some judicial accountability because common man's money is spent to give justice to people. Judges should be penalised for giving wrong judgements be it HC or Lower courts. Second, I don't understand the mindset of our fellow Indians because they want no punitive action against Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Jayalalithaa etc.. but they want a safe, secure society where there is deterance for crime. These celebs are also part of our society, everybody should be equal before law..

KV : Judicial officers cannot be penalised if their findings are reversed by the higher courts. However, their performance are monitored by the High Court, and it is factored in when they are considered for elevation to higher judiciary

Comment From VD

If third party appeal are not alllowed. In what way , was Swamy aggrieved by the act of JJ to make him go against her??

KV : Swamy is not considered a third party as he was the original complainant. He initiated the prosecution, which was later taken over by the Vigilance Directorate.

Comment From Denver DSylva, Toronto, Canada

Very good outcome. Good that she will come back as CM. I'm tired of the judiciary interfering in the running of the country. Judges are not elected by the people, politicians are. I'm not sure what the role of the judiciary should be in the running of the country, but, it is surely a tragedy when a judge can ruin a person's life/career on flimsy grounds.

Comment From Siva

Irrespective of the truth, this is a welcome decision since things will start moving in TN

Comment From TN Future

Assuming someone appeal against this judgement in Supreme Court, how long it will normally take to come to the Judgement day?

KV : It depends on the SC alone. In Jayalalithaa's case, they fixed a deadline for the High Court to finish the hearing.

Comment From Ramki

It should be any day in near future that we will see Chennai Metro rail inaugurate its operations

The Hindu: Thank you all for your questions. We will be closing the live chat now. Log on to www.thehindu.com for more updates. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

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