JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a PIL that sought to put on hold AIADMK leader V K Sasikala’s swearing-in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it passed judgement in a corruption case against her.
The judgement in the disproportionate assets case against former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Sasikala, as co-accused, has been reserved since June 7 and is expected to be delivered next week.
A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said “declined” when advocate G S Mani pleaded for urgent listing and hearing of the petition filed by Senthil Kumar, general secretary of Chennai-based NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam.
The counsel submitted that the matter was required to be heard on an urgent basis. The petitioner has sought restraint on Sasikala’s swearing-in after an apex court bench had on February 6 said that it would pronounce within a week the judgement in a 20-year-old disproportionate assets case.
Kumar has sought a stay on Sasikala’s swearing-in, expressing apprehension that if she is convicted and forced to resign, there could be riots across Tamil Nadu.
The PIL stated that the law and order situation may worsen in such an eventuality as the state was already reeling under the impact of a cyclone, demonetisation and Jayalalithaa’s death. Among other reliefs, the petitioner sought a declaration that the appointment of a-non MLA was illegal and constitutional.