The trial in the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa concluded in the Special Court here on Thursday after nearly 17 years of its registration. The court will pronounce its verdict on September 20.
Judge John Michael Cunha fixed the date for pronouncement of the verdict while directing all the accused — Jayalalithaa, V.K. Sasikala, V.N. Sudhakaran and J. Ilavarasi — to be personally present in the court without fail on that day.
The judge expressed his inability to pronounce the verdict within 14 days from the date of conclusion of the trial as per the Rule 20 of the Karnataka Criminal Rules of Practice while exercising liberty provided for the magistrate/judge under the rule for availing of 14 more days.
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“…having regard to elaborate arguments of counsel for the accused, voluminous evidence that required to be scanned and lengthy written arguments having been filed today [Thursday], it requires to be gone through and the facts and figures found in documents are also required to be cross-checked. Hence judgment can’t be pronounced within 14 days,” the judge observed.
Registered in 1997
The case was registered in 1997 when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was in power in Tamil Nadu.
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The Supreme Court in 2003 transferred the trial to Bangalore following a petition by DMK leader K. Anbazhagan. The apex court had held that “fair” trial was not possible in the Chennai court while noticing the conduct of the public prosecutor and other developments that took place after Ms. Jayalalithaa assumed the post of Chief Minister in 2002.