Karnataka High Court Verdict in the J Jayalalithaa DA Case Monday May 11,2015

 

Jayalalithaa acquitted in disproportionate assets case, Karnataka High Court sets all convictions aside

 

 

 11:02 am Jayalalithaa has been acquitted of all charges. All convictions against her have been set aside. 

On September 27, 2014, a special court in Bangalore had convicted Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case worth Rs 58 crores, sentencing her to four years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 100 crore. Her three associates — V K Sasikala, V N Sudhakaran and J Illavarasi — were also convicted.

During the hearing of the appeal, Jayalalithaa had contended that the then DMK government-led investigation had deliberately over-valued her assets and she had acquired the property, including jewellery, through legal means.

 

Note
The uncertainty about when the Karnataka High Court will pass its judgement on the appeals filed by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others ended on Friday after it was officially disclosed that it will be pronounced on May 11.
The wait was marked by intense anticipation as the May 12 deadline given by the Supreme Court for delivery of judgement

J Jayalalithaa need not be present in court when the judgment is pronounced. It is only in the trial court that the accused are required to be present at the time of the judgement, as per the Criminal Procedure Code

A special court had convicted her in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case (known as DA case) and sent her to jail in September 2014.

The charges 

Conspiracy: As first time Chief Minister between 1991-96, Jayalalithaa conspired with three others to acquire assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore
Disproportionate Assets: The assets were disproportionate to her known income
Abetment: The other three abetted the offence by acting as benami owners of 32 private firms
Prosecution's take: Modus operandi was to deposit cash in benami firms' accounts
Prosecution's take: The firms gave her address as theirs while opening accounts
Prosecution's take: Jayalalithaa spent crores of rupees on renovations and constructions, her foster son's wedding and possessed huge quantity of jewellery.
Counter: Prosecution born and out of malice and vendetta, many illegalities and defects in investigation. She had sufficient income form legal sources. Others were not benamidars.
Counter: No material to show sarees, watches and footwear seized were bought during her tenure.
Counter: Income-Tax authorities and Tribunals have accepted their returns and valuation of assets.


 Thereafter, Jayalalithaa and four others including her closest aide VK Sasikala Natarajan, her estranged foster son Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi were sent to Bengaluru central prison.

They were released after obtaining a conditional bail and suspension of sentencing by the Supreme Court  in Oct 2014

Karnataka HC Judgement in J Jayalaithaa DA Case Monday May 11,2015

 

கர்நாடக உயர் நீதிமன்ற நீதிபதி குமாரசாமி அளித்த, 919 பக்க தீர்ப்பின் முக்கிய பகுதிகள்: சொத்துக்களின் மொத்த மதிப்பு, 37.59 கோடி ரூபாய். மொத்த வருமானம், 34.76 கோடி ரூபாய். சொத்துக்களின் மொத்த மதிப்பில் இருந்து, வருமானத்தை கழிக்கும்போது, 2.82 கோடி ரூபாய் அதிகமாக வருகிறது. இதை சதவீத கணக்கில் பார்த்தால், 8.12 சதவீதம். கிருஷ்ணானந்த் அக்னிஹோத்ரி வழக்கில், சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட் பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவில், 'வருமானத்திற்கு அதிகமாக, 10 சதவீத அளவில் சொத்துக்கள் இருந்தால், வழக்கில் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்கள் விடுதலை பெற உரிமை உள்ளது' என, தீர்ப்பு அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆந்திர அரசு பிறப்பித்த சுற்றறிக்கையில், 'வருமானத்திற்கு அதிகமான சொத்து, 20 சதவீதம் அளவிற்கு அனுமதிக்கலாம்' என, தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. எனவே, வருமானத்திற்கு அதிகமான சொத்துக்களின் மதிப்பு, 10 முதல் 20 சதவீதத்திற்குள் இருந்தால், அதை அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட வரம்பாக எடுத்துக் கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது.