Sasikala gives clean chit to Jaya

Sasikala Natarajan, former aide of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, on Saturday gave a clean chit to the AIADMK leader, in a case pertaining to possessing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

Sasikala and Sudhakaran, who are co-accused in the case, appeared before the court and answered questions from Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah pertaining to Jaya Publications and Sasi Enterprises. Sasikala told the court that she alone managed the affairs of the companies and Jayalalitha was only a 'dormant partner'.

"Selvi Jayalalitha was not involved in the affairs of the firm. I alone operated the bank account. She was not involved in the affairs of the firm", she said. The recording of Sasikala's statements began after the Judge rejected her application seeking adjournment of the proceedings citing pendency of her special leave petition on the translation issue in the Supreme Court. Out of about 1,000-odd questions framed by the court, Sasikala was asked 40 questions, which were translated into English by interpreter K S Harish.

Responding to questions pertaining to financial transactions on purchase of lands connected with the two firms, Sasikala said she was taking care of the administration of Jaya Publications and explained the sources of payment. Out of the 40 questions posed by the judge, Sasikala answered only 25 of them and pleaded ignorance for the rest. Apart from Sasikala, the other two accused in the case, V Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi were also present in the court.

The Judge adjourned proceedings to February 23 after Sasikala's senior counsels N Kumar and C Manishankar pleaded inconvenience to attend the proceedings on a continuous basis submitting they had other commitments in Chennai court.

To this, Special Public Prosecutor B V Acharya raised serious objections stating that the Supreme Court had directed that the case must proceed on a day-to-day basis.

Sasikala, a long-time close associate of Jayalalitha, was recently expelled along with several of her relatives from the AIADMK. Earlier in November, 2011, Jayalalitha, while replying to the 1,339 questions by the Court, had maintained that the case against her was 'politically motivated' and 'fabricated' at the instance of her rival DMK.