The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on Thursday constituted a Special Bench of Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy to hear the appeals filed by AIADMK general-secretary Jayalalithaa and others, who have questioned their conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
The Special Bench has been constituted based on the December 18, 2014 direction of the Supreme Court for hearing the appeals on a day-to-day basis, stated the notification issued by the Registrar (Judicial).
The other appeals were filed by Jayalalithaa’s associates — V.K. Sasikala, V.N. Sudhakaran and J. Ilavarasi.
Though the appeals have been listed for hearing on Friday, it is likely to be heard regularly from January 5 as Justice Kumaraswamy will not be sitting tomorrow. The appeals have been listed before another judge, who has been assigned to take up matters assigned for Justice Kumaraswamy in view of latter’s non-sitting tomorrow.
A Special Court on September 27, 2014 had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years’ imprisonment along with Rs. 100 crore fine, while declaring that the prosecution had established that she possessed assets worth around Rs. 53.6 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income. While other accused too were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, they were imposed with the fine of Rs. 10 crore each.
The Supreme Court on October 17, 2014 had granted them bail on their appeal against the Karnataka High Court’s October 7, 2014 verdict refusing to release them on bail during the pendency of their appeals.
Twists and Turns
- › The charges: Conspiracy: As CM, Jayalalithaa conspired with three others to acquire assets to the tune of Rs. 66.65 crore
- › Disproportionate Assets: The assets were disproportionate to her known income
- › Abetment: The other three abetted the offence by acting as benami owners of 32 private firms
- › Prosecution's take: Modus operandi was to deposit cash in benami firms’ accounts
- › Prosecution's take: The firms gave her address as theirs while opening accounts
- › Prosecution's take: Ms. Jayalalithaa spent crores of rupees on renovations and constructions, her foster son’s wedding and possessed huge quantity of jewellery.
- › Counter: Prosecution born and out of malice and vendetta, many illegalities and defects in investigation. She had sufficient income form legal sources. Others were not benamidars.
- › Counter: No material to show sarees, watches and footwear seized were bought during her tenure.
- › Counter: Income-Tax authorities and Tribunals have accepted their returns and valuation of assets.
