File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Bangalore:
Four days after the completion of Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa suffered a setback with the Supreme Court lifting the stay on the trial against her in the disproportionate assets or DA case.
The Top Court's ruling means that trial proceedings in the case will resume tomorrow in a Bangalore court. Ms Jayalalithaa's close aide N Sasikala is a co-accused in the DA case.
Proceedings in the case had been stayed by the Supreme Court on April 7 after Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Bhavani Singh filed a petition seeking an adjournment on the plea that he was not well. His lawyer told the Court that his client, the SPP was ill and, hence, could not attend the proceedings. He also wanted the Court to intervene in the trial court order slapping a fine of Rs 1.30 lakh on Mr Singh for his failure to appear before it on two days.
While lifting the stay in the case, the Supreme Court today reduced the fine from Rs. 1.30 lakh to Rs. 20,000. This amount will have to be paid to the Legal Services Authority, the Court decreed.
Mr Singh's lawyer informed the court that the SPP had recovered from his illness, and was in a position to conduct the trial in the case.
The origin of the case can be traced back to 1996 when the DMK government, then in power, suo motu filed a DA case against the AIADMK chief on the basis of complaints by the DMK's K Anbazhagan and BJP leader t Subramanian Swamy. Mr Swamy was then the President of Janata Party.
After the AIADMK returned to power in 2001, the DMK moved the Supreme Court asking the case to be transferred from Tamil Nadu alleging witnesses were turning hostile as Jayalalithaa's party was in power. In 2003, the case was transferred from Chennai to Bangalore.
The Top Court's ruling means that trial proceedings in the case will resume tomorrow in a Bangalore court. Ms Jayalalithaa's close aide N Sasikala is a co-accused in the DA case.
Proceedings in the case had been stayed by the Supreme Court on April 7 after Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Bhavani Singh filed a petition seeking an adjournment on the plea that he was not well. His lawyer told the Court that his client, the SPP was ill and, hence, could not attend the proceedings. He also wanted the Court to intervene in the trial court order slapping a fine of Rs 1.30 lakh on Mr Singh for his failure to appear before it on two days.
While lifting the stay in the case, the Supreme Court today reduced the fine from Rs. 1.30 lakh to Rs. 20,000. This amount will have to be paid to the Legal Services Authority, the Court decreed.
Mr Singh's lawyer informed the court that the SPP had recovered from his illness, and was in a position to conduct the trial in the case.
The origin of the case can be traced back to 1996 when the DMK government, then in power, suo motu filed a DA case against the AIADMK chief on the basis of complaints by the DMK's K Anbazhagan and BJP leader t Subramanian Swamy. Mr Swamy was then the President of Janata Party.
After the AIADMK returned to power in 2001, the DMK moved the Supreme Court asking the case to be transferred from Tamil Nadu alleging witnesses were turning hostile as Jayalalithaa's party was in power. In 2003, the case was transferred from Chennai to Bangalore.
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