Plea for three-day proceedings in a week turned down

A special court hearing the disproportionate asset case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today turned down the plea of the three accused for three-day proceedings in a week.

When the counsels for the accused Sasikala Natarajan, V Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi made the plea for weekly three-day proceedings, Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah said the court has to conduct day-to-day proceedings as per higher court orders including the Supreme Court for expeditious trial of the case.

Manishankar and Kumar, counsels appearing for the three today sought a week-long adjournment and prayed the court to adjourn the recording of statement by Sasikala to March three.

The counsels wanted the court to hold hearing on Thursday, Friday an Saturdays as they said daily hearing would be inconvenient them.

Refusing to accept the plea, the Judge, however, offered to accept adjournment by a day or two and said "orders of the higher court has tied my hands".

Public Prosecutor Sandesh Chowta too opposed the adjournment sought by the defence counsel saying such a step would amount to attracting contempt of court and he read out a portion of the Supreme Court order passed on the court to conduct the trial expeditiously.

Sasikala, the second accused, answered 69 questions today taking the total number so far to 172 out of 1000-odd questions framed by the court.

Majority of the questions related to purchase of vehicles in her name, Sasi Enterprises, AIADMK, Anjaneya Printers, Metal King, Jaya Publications. In some instances the police have fabricated the evidence to frame Jayalalithaa and her in the case, she alleged.

Sasikala said she was not aware of the land purchase transactions by Sudhakaran, the third accused.

The Judge adjourned the further recording of statement by Sasikala to February 29.