Judgement also indicts Jaya

The Supreme Court's judgement on Tuesday confirming the conviction of Sasikala also came as an indictment of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, even though the proceedings against her got abated due to her death.

Jayalalithaa allowed Sasikala and two others to live in her house out of criminal conspiracy to manage her assets and not out of any humanitarian concern, the court said.

A bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy noted that Jayalalithaa had executed a general power of attorney in favour of Sasikala in respect of Jaya Publications “with a view to keep herself secured from legal complications” and “knowing fully well that under the said powers, A2 (Sasikala) would be dealing with her (Jayalalithaa’s) funds credited to her account in Jaya Publications”. The court also pointed out that the constitution of various firms during the period was another circumstance establishing the conspiracy between the parties.

No business activities

“It has come in evidence that 10 firms were constituted on a single day. In addition, A2 (Sasikala) and A3 (Sudhakaran) started independent concerns and apart from buying properties, no other business activity was undertaken by them,” the bench said.

It added, “The circumstances proved in evidence undoubtedly establish that these firms are nothing but extentions of Namadhu MGR and Jaya Publications and they owed their existence to the benevolence of A1 (Jayalalithaa) and A2.”

The apex court also recorded findings that those firms and companies were operating from the residence of Jayalalithaa and it cannot be accepted that she was unaware of it even though she feigned ignorance about the activities carried on by Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Elavarasi.

“They were residing with Jayalalithaa without any blood relation between them,” the bench said.

The court said Sasikala and her two relatives did not have independent sources of income but they set up firms and went on acquiring large tracts of land out of the funds provided by Jayalalithaa.

“The flow of money from one account to the other proves that there existed active conspiracy to launder the ill-gotten wealth of A1 (Jayalalithaa) for purchasing properties in the names of the firms,” the bench said.