Leaving no option to V.K. Sasikala but to surrender immediately, the Supreme Court on Wednesday has sternly refused her plea to afford her more time to turn herself in.
Declining an urgent mentioning by Sasikala's lawyer and senior advocate KTS Tulsi that irreparable harm would be caused to her if some more time is not given to surrender, Justice P.C. Ghose told the counsel, "when we say forthwith we mean immediately".
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Sasikala's two co-accused, V.N. Sudhakaran and J. Ilavarasi had also moved the SC with similar pleas.
The Supreme Court had convicted all three in the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case on February 14 and ordered them to surrender forthwith.
Twenty-four hours have passed since the SC passed the judgment.
The trio have to serve the remainder of their four-year sentence for abetting corruption and hatching a criminal conspiracy to aid a public servant earn assets disproportionate to her known income.
Sasikala, after serving her prison term, would continue to be disqualified from contesting polls for another six years.
All the convicts would have to surrender before the designated trial court in Bengaluru before proceeding to jail.
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