CNN-News18
First published: February 9, 2017, 7:12 PM IST | Updated: 14 mins ago
VK Sasikala during an exclusive interview to News18 Senior Editor S Gunasekaran. (Network 18)
Chennai: In a relief of sorts for VK Sasikala, the Supreme Court will not be taking up the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case, in which Sasikala is accused number two, this week. The matter is likely to be listed in the top court next week.
If convicted, Sasikala will not only lose the CM’s chair, for which she is currently battling O Panneerselvam, but will also be barred from electoral politics for a fixed duration.
Sasikala was on her way to meet the Governor on Thursday evening and she is likely to impress upon the latter that she enjoys the support of majority of MLAs and push for her swearing-in as early as possible.
Caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Governor and updated him about the political situation in the state and told him that he was forced to resign.
“Good things are happening and the truth will triumph,” he said, adding that good will prevail and “we will come back”.
The disproportionate assets case was filed in 1996 after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint against Jayalalithaa.
Jayalalithaa was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1996, for allegedly amassing unaccounted wealth.
In 2015, the Congress government in Karnataka moved the apex court in 2015 after the state high court acquitted her in the case. A special court in Bengaluru had earlier found her guilty and sentenced her to four years of imprisonment along with her close aide Sasikala. Although Jayalalithaa had to temporarily step down as the CM, she soon came back to power in the 2016 Assembly elections.
On June 7, 2016, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on the appeal by Karnataka government challenging the high court’s order of acquittal for Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala, Ilavarasi and VN Sudhakaran.