Jaya questions challenge to her acquittal in assets case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha told the Supreme Court that the Karnataka government’s challenge to her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case was a deep and pervasive antipathy to the will of people who re-elected her with an overwhelming majority.

In a response to the apex court’s notice, she claimed charges of conspiracy and abetment was nothing but a myth.

“In the election, she trounced all her opponents and none of them could even secure their deposits. The will of the people cannot be defeated with a stay of acquittal,” the affidavit filed on her behalf stated.

The Karnataka government and DMK leader K Anbazhagan sought stay of the May 11 Karnataka HC judgment, acquitting her in the case. The petitioners had described the HC order as “cryptic, illogical” and lacking “reasoning”.

The state government also claimed the acquittal of Jayalalitha and three others was based on wrong calculation of assets.

In the affidavit, she contended that no tenable grounds were made out before the Supreme Court that the findings of the Karnataka High Court suffered from any error of law. She said that the HC passed its verdict setting aside her conviction and five-year jail term on “deep appreciation of facts”.