AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala has been convicted by a two member Bench of Supreme Court over the disproportionate assets case.
The apex court set aside the Karnataka High Court Judgement and uphold the judgement of Justice Michael D Cunha in 2014 convicting Sasikala, her niece Ilavarasi, nephew VN Sudhakaran and late CM Jayalalithaa in the Disproportionate Assets case.
The apex court ordered the AIADMK chief to complete the remaining for years of her jail sentence. With the top court verdict, Sasikala is ineligible to contest the election for six years after her release from the jail.
The bench comprising of Justices PC Ghose and AK Roy pronounced their verdict in Court Hall 6 on Tuesday. It comes more than eight months after orders were reserved by the Supreme Court on the appeals filed by the Karnataka government against the acquittal of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran, The News Minute reported.
The Disproportionate Assets case was registered in 1997 against Jayalalithaa after her term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. The charges were regarding a disproportionate jump in her wealth from Rs 2.01 crore in 1991, to Rs 66.65 crore in 1996.
Chinnama’s acquittal will instantly boost chances of overcoming caretaker CM O Panneerselvam as the real successor to late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. OPS, who claimed the chief ministerial post and engaged in a political scuffle with Sasikala, could most likely be the Tamil Nadu CM in the light of the top court judgement.
