J Jayalalithaa Convicted in DA Case Saturday Sep 27,2014

 

Judgement Day For J Jayalalithaa in DA Case
 It is judgement day for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as a Bangalore court on Saturday will deliver its verdict in the disproportionate assets case against the AIADMK chief

J Jayalalithaa has been charged with accumulating Rs 66 crore wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income from 1991-96 in her first term as Chief Minister in the case

If convicted, Jayalalithaa will face immediate disqualification as Member of the Legislative Assembly and will have to relinquish office.

If acquitted, it will free her of all charges, further reinforcing her claim that the case was based on rival DMK's political vendetta.

J Jayalalithaa would be forced to step down as the CM if the court convicts her in the 18-year-old corruption case and sentences her to more than two years in jail.

 She would also be disqualified as an MLA and barred from contesting elections for six years after the end of her jail term.

Tight security is in place outside the Bangalore court ahead of the verdict, Tamil Nadu too have been put on high alert keeping a close watch on the situation that was likely to emerge in the aftermath of the court delivering the verdict

J Jayalalithaa and her aide Sasikala, who is also an accused in the case, reached the court amidst very high security at 10.42 a.m

J Jayalalithaa on her way to the Special Court in Gandhi Bhavan at Parapana Agrahara
 

All eyes at the Parappana Agrahara prison complex, where the judgment is set to be pronounced

The case was transferred to Bangalore’s Special Court in 2003 by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by DMK leader K Anbazhagan who had expressed doubts over conduct of fair trail in Tamil Nadu as Jayalalithaa ruled the state then 

Special Court Judge Michael Dicunha will be delivering the verdict by noon at the makeshift court created at Bangalore central prison at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of Bangalore city, which has been provided with multi-layer security cover.

 The Bangalore city police have promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 of Cr.PC as a precautionary measure ahead of the court delivering its verdict.

There are four accused in the case. Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and Ilavarasi arrived together in the same convoy while the fourth accused VN Sudhakaran had arrived earlier.

The judgment in Jaya's DA case adjourned till 1pm at 11.40 a.m

J Jayalalithaa wealth case: Timeline of events

 

 

1996:

June 14: Dr. Subramanian Swamy files complaint against Jayalalithaa

June 21: The Principal District and Sessions Judge directs Letika Saran, IPS, to investigate the private complaint

June 18: The then (DMK) government directs DVAC to register an FIR against Jayalalithaa for allegedly possessing unaccounted assets

1997:

June 4: Charge sheet filed in Chennai; Rs. 66.65 crore disproportionate assets

Oct 21: Court frames charges against Jayalalithaa, V.K.Sasikala, V.N.Sudhakaran, and J. Ilavarasi

2002:

March: Takes charge as Chief Minister again

Nov. 2002 to Feb 2003: 76 witnesses were recalled and they resiled their previous statements

Feb 28, 2003: DMK leader K. Anbazhagan moves Supreme Court for transfer of trial

Nov 18: Supreme Court orders transfer of trial to a Special Court in Bangalore while observing that ‘fair trial was not going’ in Chennai

Dec. 2003 to March 2005: Special Court set up at Bangalore B.V.Acharya named Special Public Prosecutor for the case

2010:

Jan. 22: Supreme Court clears way for trial of DA case and trial commences

Dec. 2010 to Feb, 2011: Witnesses re-examined by the prosecution

2011:

May 16: AIADMK back in power, Jayalalithaa becomes Chief Minister again

Oct. 20 & 21; Nov 22 & 23: Jayalalithaa appears in person,answers Special Court’s questions.

2012:

Aug. 13: G. Bhavani Singh appointed as SPP

Aug. 23: Anbhazhagan moves HC questioning appointment

Aug. 26: Karnataka Govt. removes Singh as SPP

Aug.-Sept: Singh moves Apex Court which reinstates him

Sept. 30: Special Court judge Balakrishna retires.

Oct. 29: HC appoints John Michael Cunha as judge of Special Court

2014:

Aug. 28: Trial concludes, Special Court says verdict will be pronounced on September 20

Sept. 15: Ms. Jayalalithaa requests for change of locations for security reasons.

Sept. 16: Special Court allows Jayalalithaa’s plea, orders for shifting venue near Bangalore Central prison; postpones verdict to September 27,2014

The Bangalore Central Jail, where Jayalalithaa has been lodged, is garrisoned with several platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve Police to prevent any untoward incident.

 

J Jayalalithaa convicted in the DA case on Saturday Sep 27,2014

 

 The Judgement
 
J Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and a Rs. 100-crore fine was imposed on her for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Her co-accused — Sasikala Natarajan, V. Sudhakaran and J. Elavarasi — were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10 crore each.

 

In consequence, J Jayalalithaa stood disqualified as an MLA and lost her position as Chief Minister. She would now be barred from contesting elections for the period of conviction plus six years — a total of 10 years. 

 J Jayalalithaa was held guilty of amassing illegal wealth in a 910-page order was sentenced to four years in jail on Saturday. , the court also asked her to pay Rs. 100 crore fine.J Jayalalithaa is also now barred by law from contesting elections for the next 10 years - six years after the completion of her sentence - unless today's judgement is reversed by a higher court. She is the first chief minister to be disqualified
 

J. Jayalalithaa, who was convicted in the disproportionate assets case on Saturday, refused special treatment from the Bangalore Central Jail authorities at Parappana Agrahara on the city’s outskirts

J Jayalalithaa, who has been convicted in the disproportionate assets case, has been allotted the VVIP Cell number 23 in the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. She has been given prisoner number 7402.

Sources said the cell is located next to the women’s barrack. Jail authorities said the occupant was entitled to a bed, fan and separate bathroom facility. Ms Jayalalithaa was provided with a white sari as a convict.

Her dinner included a Ragi ball, 200 grams of rice and two chapathis. However, she refused dinner and sought fruits instead.

Others convicted in the case Sasikala, Ilavarsi and Sudhakaran were given prisoner numbers 7403 and 7404 and 7405 respectively.

 J Jayalalithaa will be the first occupant of the VVIP cell in the high security Central Prison.

The Central Prison has two VVIP prisons cells that are categorised as high security zones while the prison also has five VIP cells that have been used to lodge former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, former Ministers, G. Janardhan Reddy and S.N. Krishnaiah Setty.

Jayalalithaa asked the jail authorities to allow her to share the cell with her friends Sasikala Natarajan and V.N.J. Illavarasai.

Her disowned foster son Sudhakaran is sharing his cell with mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy’s former aide, Mehfuz Ali Khan. 

Considering her health concerns, Jayalalithaa has been housed at the hospital located inside the jail.

J Jayalalithaa is sharing the hospital’s common ward with Sasikala and Illavarasai, who also complained of health problems. A VIP cell has been set up for Jayalalithaa in the jail, and whenever the doctors permit, she will be shifted from the hospital ward. 

“On Saturday night, she had fruits for dinner. She woke up around 5.30am on Sunday and took a stroll in the jail premises. She had requested for three Tamil newspapers and two English dailies. She read them in detail and returned to her ward,” a senior jail official said.

Jayalalithaa reportedly instructed the jail staff not to accord any special treatment to her. She spoke to the jail authorities in Kannada, and many of them were taken aback by her simplicity.

Though the jail staff offered her idli and sambar for breakfast, the AIADMK chief sought permission to get her breakfast prepared by her personal staff Veera Perumal. He has been camping outside the jail since Saturday and had cooked idli-sambar for breakfast for his ‘Amma’.

As it was Sunday, general visitors, including Perumal, were not permitted to enter the jail premises. In the afternoon, she had lunch supplied by her personal staff. 

Jayalalitha now joins powerful politicians like Lalu Prasad and Om Prakash Chautala to be imprisoned in a corruption case after being convicted by court.

A former Haryana chief minister, Chautala was jailed in a teacher's scam but his party – the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is one of the front runners in the upcoming elections in the state.

The same is the case with former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad whose political fortunes look on the upswing despite his conviction in a corruption case. 

J Jayalalithaa appeals in Karnataka HC against conviction

J  Jayalalithaa's appeal against Special Court's conviction order in disproportionate assets case has been filed in the Karnataka High Court around 11 a.m on Monday Sep 29,2014

Her advocates filed the appeal, with a plea seeking suspension of sentence, in the High Court's registry section. 

Since the High Court was on vacation, the application may be taken up by a vacation bench on Tuesday Sep 30,2014

Legal experts say a stay on the conviction is deemed necessary to get her disqualification suspended. While the Supreme Court has said in many cases that the appellate court has the power to suspend both the sentence and conviction, it laid down in 2001 that when a public servant has been convicted for corruption, the conviction should not be stayed during the pendency of an appeal.