Bangalore: A special court trying the
disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
J Jayalalithaa on Thursday adjourned to February 18, recording of
statement of estranged aide and co-accused Sasikala Natarajan.
Judge BM Mallikarjunaiah adjourned to February 18,
recording of her statement under Section 313 of CrPC, allowing
a petition by her counsel C Manishankar under Sec 309 of the
CrPC, seeking adjournment.
Manishankar submitted they had filed a Special Leave
Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Feb 3 High Court
dismissal of her petition on the translation process, which
was listed for hearing on Thursday.
Allowing the petition, the court adjourned the matter and
directed that the interpreter Harish be present on that day.
Sasikala and Ilavarasi, the fourth accused, were present
in court.
On Feb 3 Justice N Ananda had upheld the trial court
order on the petition and observed that there need not be any
"interference" with the lower court order and dismissed it.
On December 16, Sasikala`s counsel Thulasi had filed the
criminal petition seeking translated versions of questions
framed by the court to be kept ready in Tamil.
When the petition subsequently came up for hearing in the
High Court on Dec 19, Justice of BV Pinto granted six weeks
stay on proceedings against Sasikala in the Special Court.
The case relates to accumulation of wealth allegedly
disproportionate to her known sources of income by
Jayalalithaa when she was Chief Minister in 1991-96.
PTI
