This Article is From Dec 08, 2018

Jailed Sasikala Summoned By Tamil Nadu Court Over Forex Violations

The case against Sasikala relates to alleged violations in transactions, including remittances for a transponder and uplinking charges for JJ TV channel.

Jailed Sasikala Summoned By Tamil Nadu Court Over Forex Violations

Sasikala is currently lodged in the Parapana Agrahara Central jail in Bengaluru. (File)

Chennai:

A court in Chennai has issued a warrant to a Bengaluru jail to produce VK Sasikala on December 13 in connection with a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) violations.

Sasikala, an aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate asset case and lodged in the Parapana Agrahara Central jail in Bengaluru since last February.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Chennai had issued a warrant to the jail Superintendent days ago for producing Sasikala, who was eased out of the ruling AIADMK last year, for rectifying procedural irregularities in the charge sheet framed against her last year, court sources told PTI.

Though Sasikala was earlier directed to appear on November 30 by the court, the jail superintendent had informed that she was not well and could not attend the proceedings.

Charges against her and Bhaskaran, another accused, were framed last year by the then Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic Offence), A Zakir Hussain.

Prosecution was launched against Sasikala, Bhaskaran and the now defunct JJ TV by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 1995 and 1996 on charges of FERA violations.

The case relates to alleged violations in transactions, including remittances for a transponder and uplinking charges for JJ TV channel.

The prosecution alleged that the payments were illegally routed to US-based Rimsat through firms having a network in the Philippines and Singapore.

On February 15, 2017, Sasikala was sent to Parapana Agrahara jail after she surrendered before a trial court at Bengaluru, a day after the Supreme Court restored her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

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