The additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) court-economic offences-I, has fixed June 21 as the date for framing charges against AIADMK (Amma) general secretary V.K. Sasikala, under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). Sasikala is now serving a sentence in the Parappana Agrahara prison, Bengaluru, following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had alleged that as the then chairperson-cum-director of JJTV Private Ltd, Sasikala had authorised its managing director and her nephew V. Bhaskaran to make payment in foreign exchange to firms for services such as procuring equipment and hiring transponders and uplink facilities for JJ TV without the permission of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Another case was filed against Sasikala in 2001 on charges of acquiring a huge amount of foreign exchange illegally through an acquaintance in Malaysia and utilising that money to purchase the Kodanad tea estate in the Nilgiris district. Sasikala and Mr. Bhaskaran were cited as accused in these cases.
‘Delaying tactics’
Last month, the ACMM allowed Sasikala to appear through video conferencing from the Parappana Agrahara prison, Bengaluru, and she had also filed an undertaking agreeing to the conditions imposed by the court. However, later, she filed yet another petition, asking the court to furnish her a questionnaire ahead of her appearance.
On Tuesday, ACMM A. Zakir Hussain, while dismissing her petition, said: “The court has to put such questionnaire to her as it treats necessary. Hence, the questionnaire will not be supplied to her advocate as she had sought. This petition is nothing but delaying tactics played by the accused to protract the proceedings.”
The court also sent a communication to the Superintendent of Parappana Agrahara Prison and the Home Secretary of Karnataka to produce her through the video conferencing facility on June 21.
According to sources, all arrangements are in place to use the video conferencing facility which is available on the third floor of the building on the Allikulam campus.
