File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa today cited an amendment in the Criminal Procedure Code, or CrPC, to skip a hearing in a Chennai court in a case relating to failure to file income tax returns allegedly by Ms Sasi Enterprises for two consecutive years (1991-92 and 1992-93), in which she's reportedly a partner.
The chief minister cited her busy schedule ahead of elections to stay away from questioning and framing of charges and instead, wanted the court to allow her counsel to represent her in the case. The court will pass its order on its plea later in the day.
Jayalalithaa's close confidante Sasikala Natarajan is a co-accused in the case. They were allegedly partners in a company, Sasi Enterprises. The IT department had filed a criminal case against them for their failure to file the returns for the two years. The chief minister, as a partner of the firm, had allegedly failed to submit the returns for 1993-94 too.
The AIADMK chief's argument citing the CrPC amendment to seek exemption from personal appearance in the court was opposed by the prosecution, which demanded a dismissal of their petition on the ground that it amounted to a mockery and defiance of the Top Court's order.
In January, the Supreme Court had ordered the completion of the trial in the case in four months.
A court in Egmore had in its last hearing in March directed Jayalalithaa and Sasikala to appear before it today for questioning and framing of charges.
In January, the Supreme Court had ordered the completion of the trial in the case in four months.