DA case: SC to decide fate of Sasikala today

New Delhi: The fate of AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan, fighting a bitter power battle with interim Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam after the demise of J Jayalithaa, is likely to be decided on Tuesday as the Supreme Court may deliver the much-awaited verdict in the disproportionate assets case involving her as an accused.
A bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy, which said last week that the verdict would be out in few days, is likely to pronounce the judgment at 10.30 am on Tuesday on a batch of appeals, including the one filed by Karnataka govern-ment against the High Court verdict acquitting prime accused Jayalalithaa and her close aide and now AIADMK chief Sasikala.
Besides Jayalalithaa, against whom the proceed-ings would be abated due to her demise on December 5 last year, Sasikala, and the latter’s relatives, V.N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, were also acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court.
The apex court, on June 7 last year, had reserved its verdict on a batch of appeals filed by Karnataka government and others against the High Court order acquitting then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and others in the assets case after hearing a battery of lawyers from both sides.
While Jayalalithaa was represented by senior advocate L Nageswara Rao, now a Supreme Court judge, in the hearing of the appeal, another senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade represented other accused in the case.
The hearing in the high-profile case had concluded during summer vacation last year by the apex court which also heard DMK leader K Anbazhagan and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and others. Senior advocates Dushayant Dave and Siddharth Luthra and lawyer B.V Acharya had appeared for Karnataka government and had dealt with the alleged flaws in the High Court verdict. Luthra and another senior advocate C A Sundaram had dealt with the firms which had found mention in the trial court records.
These were Lex Property Development, Meadow Agro Farms Ltd, Riverway Agro Products Pvt Ltd, Ramraj Agro Mills Ltd, Signora Business Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Indo Doha Chemicals and harmaceuticals Pvt Ltd. Senior advocates T R Andhyarujina and Vikas Singh had appeared for DMK leader Anbazhagan and sought reversal of the High Court verdict.
Meanwhile, the political drama in Tamil Nadu may see a denouement soon with Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Monday advising Governor C. Vidyasar Rao to convene the assembly within a week for a floor test to decide the fate of Panneerselvam and Sasikala. In his opinion, sources said, Rohatgi has stated that “he (Governor) should call a special session within a week’s time and have a composite floor test as was ordered by the Supreme Court in the Jagdambika Pal case”. (PTI)