Bangalore: The special court hearing Jayalalithaa's DA case has sentenced her to 4 years in jail in this case.
The court has also asked Jayalalithaa and three other convicted persons to pay a penalty of Rs 25 crores each.
Jayalalithaa was sent to hospital in Parappana Agrahara jail in Bangalore as she felt giddy and complained of chest pain after the verdict.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was on Saturday convicted by a Bangalore court in connection with 18-year-old Rs 66 crore disproportionate case against her.
Special Judge John Michael D'Cunha pronounced the quantum of punishment at 4:50 pm
Jayalalithaa, also the general secretary of the ruling AIADMK, was accompanied by Sasikala, a close aide and another accused in the case.
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The three times Chief Minister was be present in the court when the judgement was pronounced.
According to legal experts, after this conviction order, Jayalalithaa will lose her chief ministership.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief is accused of amassing Rs 66.65 crore between 1991 and 1996 when she was the Chief Minister of the southern state.
The case was transferred by the Supreme Court from Chennai to Bangalore in 2003 during Jayalalithaa's earlier tenure as Chief Minister for a free and fair trial.
It was a complaint by Subramanian Swamy in a court here in 1996 that led to a probe against Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa in what later came to be known as the “Disproportionate assets case” in which she was convicted by a Bangalore court today.
On June 14, 1996, Subramanian Swamy, then Janata Party leader, filed a complaint before the Principal Sessions Judge here alleging that Jayalalithaa had assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Swamy, was then the President of the the Janata Party, which has since merged with BJP.
The court directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing to investigate the complaint.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered by the police on September 18, 1996 and a probe was conducted which also included search and seizure procedures at multiple locations including Hyderabad. A chargesheet was filed and witnesses examined.
The witnesses who were recalled in court after the AIADMK returned to power in 2001 invited the censure of the Supreme Court later.
It was alleged that the value of Jayalalithaa's assets increased to Rs.66.65 crore when she demitted office in 1996 after a five year stint.
Before assuming office as Chief Minister on July 1, 1991, the value of her assets was Rs.2.01 crore, it was alleged. Jayalalithaa had then declared that she was drawing only Re.1 as salary.
While Jayalalithaa was the first accused in the case, her aide Sasikala, her erstwhile foster son V N Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi, a relative of Sasikala, are the other accused.
The case, in its 18 year journey has seen many petitions filed by the accused involving questions, including that of law, procedures and relief in several courts like the trial court, High Courts of Madras and Karnataka and the Supreme Court.
The case was transferred to Bangalore in 2003 by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by DMK leader K Anbazhagan in which Swamy, impleaded himself in his capacity as the original complainant. Swamy also supported the transfer of cases out of Tamil Nadu for a fair trial.
They had maintained that the trial will not be conducted in a free and fair manner if it was done in Tamil Nadu.
Transferring the case to Karnataka, an apex court bench, comprising Justice S N Variava and Justice H K Sema in its judgement on November 18, 2003 observed: “It does appear that the new public prosecutor (appointed by the AIADMK Government) is hand in glove with the accused thereby creating a reasonable apprehension of likelihood of failure of justice in the minds of the public at large. There is strong indication that the process of justice is being subverted. Free and fair trial is sine qua non of Article 21 of the Constitution.”
Here goes the time line of the DA case against Jayalalithaa:
June 14, 1996: DMK govt files DA case against Jayalalithaa and others based on complaints filed by DMK leader K Anbazhagan and Subramanian Swamy, the then Janata Party President
June 4, 1997: Charge sheet filed against Jayalaithaa for Rs 66.65 crore DA
October 21, 1997: Charges framed against Jayalalithaa, Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi
December 7, 1997: Jayalalithaa arrested from her Poes Garden residence in Chennai
May 2001: Jayalalithaa wins assembly elections, sworn-in as CM of Tamil Nadu
September 21, 2001: Jayalalithaa resigns from CM post as court allow plea against her appointment because of her conviction in Tansi case by trial court. But 2 months later, High Court acquits her.
March 2, 2002: Jayalalithaa wins by-election from Andipatti assembly constituency and is sworn in state CM once again.
November 7, 2002: The trial resumes in DA case
February 05, 2003: After Jaya became CM, K Anbazhagan moved Supreme Court to shift the trial out of Chennai
November 18, 2013: Supreme Court orders transfer of trial to a Special Court in Bangalore
May 11, 2006: Jayalalithaa loses state elections, DMK returns to power
May 16, 2011: Jayalaithaa comes back to power, takes over as CM of Tamil Nadu
August 28, 2014: Special Court says verdict will be announced on September 20
September 15, 2014: Jayalalithaa requests for change of locations
September 16, 2014: Special Court allows change in location, postpones verdict to September 27
September 27, 2014: Special Court convicts Jayalaithaa in DA case
