Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa will not be declared a convict in a corruption case, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday. Karnataka government had moved the SC seeking a review of its verdict in which it did not give a ruling on Jayalalithaa’s role in the disproportionate assets case. Karnataka government had said that it will be impossible to recover the Rs 100 crore penalty unless she is also held guilty.
The apex court had in February set aside the Karnataka High Court order acquitting the four accused in the case. Earlier in February, the court convicted Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala Natarajan and two other others in connection with the case but did not press any charges against the late chief minister since she had passed away before the court announced its verdict.
The Supreme court on February 14 slapped a fine of Rs 10 crore each on Sasikala,V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi, who were also sentenced to four years imprisonment.
The state government filed a petition asking the top court to declare Jayalalithaa a convict in the 19-year-old corruption case. The review petition affirmed that the decision will have the same effect as it would have before late TN CM Jayalalithaa’s death.
Jayalalithaa was convicted and sentenced to four-year imprisonment along with Sasikala and was also asked to pay a fine of Rs. 100 crore. Sasikala who has already served six months will now have to serve the remaining term of three-and-half years. The other two accused in the corruption case, V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were also asked to surrender and serve the jail term.
