Sasikala will not be chief minister, Supreme Court finds him guilty

AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala suffered a major jolt with the Supreme Court upholding the trial court’s judgment convicting her in the 21-year-old disproportionate case against her. With this, Sasikala stands disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister.

The apex court set aside the Karnataka High Court judgment of May 11, 2015 which had acquitted Sasikala and former chief minister late J Jayalalithaa in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case. Besides being disqualified to contest elections for 10 years. Sasikala will have to surrender after the top court’s verdict serve the jail term awarded by the trial court.

The two-judge bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy directed Sasikala and the two relatives – VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi – to surrender forthwith to the trial court in Bengaluru and serve the remaining part of four year jail term. The AIADMK General secretary had served close to 6 months in jail earlier.

“According to the materials and evidence place on record, we set aside the judgement and the order of the high court and affirm in toto the judgement and order the trial court convicting the accused persons,” the Supreme Court bench said reading out from the 2000-page judgment.

“Nevertheless, we reiterate that having regard to the facts, the charge framed against them by the trial court is restored,” the bench said. The bench said since Jayalalithaa is no more, the proceeding against her is abated.

DHARMA WILL WIN: SASIKALA 

Reacting over the Supreme Court’s verdict, the AIADMK General Secretary said she is ready to fight it out.

“In the past whenever Amma was in crisis, I also suffered. This time also I will take it upon me. Dharma will win,” ANI reported Sasikala as saying, citing AIADMK sources.

“Traitors have insulted Amma’s soul. Amma will win” the AIADMK tweeted soon after the Supreme Court’s verdict which came after a week-long bitter battle between Sasikala and O Panneerselvam over CM’s chair.

DECKS CLEARED FOR PANNEERSELVAM TO TAKE CHARGE AS CM

As a consequence, decks are now clear for Tamil Nadu caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who has been locked in a bitter battle with Sasikala since last week over the CM’s chair, to take over on the post.

The Bengaluru trial court had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years in jail and imposed a Rs 100 crore fine in the disproportionate assets case. The trial lasted for 18 years.

WHAT IS THE DA CASE AGAINST SASIKALA

Sasikala and her relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi are accused of allegedly amassing disproportionate asserts to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa’s first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. Jayalalithaa was also an accused in the case.

In May 2015, Sasikala was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate case. Jayalalithaa and two other accused were also acquitted in the case.

The Karnataka government then moved the Supreme Court against the high court’s ruling.

The Supreme Court had reserved the verdict in the 19-year-old illegal wealth case after 20 days of arguments in the case last year.

The apex court had sought replies from all the accused including Sasikala before the it took a break to study the records pertaining to the disproportionate assets case.