Former Tamil Nadu chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa may have been spared a criminal case in the disproportionate assets case owing to her untimely death but the supreme court has ordered to confiscate her assets to realise Rs 100 fine slapped on her and three others accuses VK Sasikala.
“We are of the opinion that the order of confiscation/forfeiture of properties standing in the name of six companies, as involved, made by the trial court is unexceptionable,” said a bench of supreme court Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Amitava Roy.
Upholding the special court order, the apex 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.
” In any view of the matter, the peremptory termination of the criminal proceedings resultant on this pronouncement, the direction of the trial court towards confiscation/forfeiture of the attached property, as mentioned therein, is hereby restored and would be construed to be an order of this court,” the court said.
The court also dismissed the Jayalalithaa’s plea that she was unaware of the activities of Sasikala and the two others.
Rejecting the assertion that Jayalalithaa accomodated three other accused out of humanitarian concern, the court said,”The facts and circumstances proved in evidence undoubtedly point out that Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were accommodated in Jayalalithaa’s house pursuant to criminal conspiracy hatched by them to hold Jayalalithaa’s assets.”
Meanwhile, in a bid to keep a hold on the party even after she lands in jail, Sasikala reinstated two of her nephews,who were expelled by J.Jayalalithaa, back as party members.
The apex court also refused to grant her more time and ordered her surrender immediately.
