JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Tuesday vacated the stay on the trial in the 1996 disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha in the Bangalore court, dismissing her plea to first dispose claims by others of properties alleged to have been held by her before hearing her case.
A bench of Justices Vikramjit Sen and Shiva Kirti Singh dismissed Jayalalitha’s petition after Tamil Nadu vigilance and anti-corruption directorate submitted that nothing in her plea survived as the prosecuting agency had withdrawn the application on attachment of properties.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister contended that the case relating to acquisition of disproportionate assets worth Rs 66.65 crore against her could not continue until the disposal of the ongoing civil suit in Bangalore special court by Lex Properties Ltd claiming actual ownership of properties listed as alleged benami holdings of her.
Senior advocate Amrendra Sharan, appearing for Tamil Nadu’s vigilance and anti-corruption directorate submitted that the prosecution had a right to withdraw the application for attachment as those properties were under the seize of the court.
“The petition filed by her does not survive and the petitioner has no cause for grievance,” he contended.