BackHow Sasikala was convicted in disproportionate assets case: A timeline
The Supreme Court has ordered AIADMK chief V.K. Sasikala to surrender and serve her remaining jail term in the disproportionate assets case. Here's a timeline of the case
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Chennai: AIADMK chief V K Sasikala’s hope of becoming chief minister of Tamil Nadu was on Tuesday dealt a body blow with the Supreme Court upholding her conviction in a corruption case, a verdict that bars her from contesting polls for nearly 10 years.
A close aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, 60-year-old Sasikala, who is locked in a bitter struggle for power in the ruling AIADMK with Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, was ordered to surrender forthwith and serve the remaining part of her four-year jail term. The AIADMK general secretary has already served almost six months in jail.
The two-judge bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy directed Sasikala and the two relatives to surrender immediately to the trial court in Bengaluru and serve the remaining part of four-year jail term.
The verdict disqualifies Sasikala from becoming a legislator and consequentially she can’t be chief minister either for six years from the date of release of prison under the Representation of the People Act.
The trial court had sentenced Sasikala and her two relatives to four years imprisonment with a fine of Rs10 crore each. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years with a fine of Rs100 crore.
Following is the chronology of events in the disproportionate assets (DA) case in which the Supreme Court today convicted AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala that also involved late CM J Jayalalithaa:
■ 14 February 2017: SC convicts Sasikala and her two relatives, V. N. Sudhakaran and Elavarasi by restoring the trial court verdict in toto directing them to serve the remaining jail term.
■ 5 December 2016: Jayalalithaa dies after prolonged illness in Chennai.
■ 7 June: SC reserves verdict on appeals in DA case against Jayalalithaa.
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■ 23 February: SC commences final hearing on the appeals against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal.
■ 27 July 2015: SC issues notice to Jayalalithaa on appeal challenging her acquittal.
■ 23 June: Karnataka Govt moves SC against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal in DA case.
■ 11 May: Karnataka HC acquits Jayalalithaa and three others.
■ 8 May: Karnataka High Court notification says Special Vacation Bench of Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy will pronounce verdict on Jayalalithaa’s appeal on 11 May 2015.
■ 28 April: B. V. Acharya appointed new SPP, files written submission before Karnataka HC praying for dismissal of Jayalalithaa’s appeal.
■ 27 April: Anbazhagan files written submission with Karnataka HC seeking confirming of Jayalalithaa’s sentence.
■ 27 April: SC rejects Bhawani Singh’s appointment as “bad in law", says case does not warrant de novo (fresh) hearing of appeals. Allows Anbazhagan and Karnataka to file written submissions in HC.
■ 15 April: SC gives split verdict on plea seeking removal of Bhawani Singh in Jayalalithaa’s DA case before Karnataka HC, refers the matter to a larger bench.
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■ 1 April: Jaya defends Singh’s continuance.
■ 11 March: Karnataka HC reserves order on appeal by Jayalalithaa and three others including confidante Sasikala in DA case.
■ 9 March: SC issues notice to Jayalalithaa and others on plea by Anbazhagan seeking removal of prosecutor.
■ 26 February: DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan moves SC seeking stay of the case against Jayalalithaa questioning impartiality of SPP Bhawani Singh.
■ 18 December 2014: SC extends Jayalalithaa’s bail by four months. A bench headed by CJI H L Dattu orders that her appeal challenging conviction in Karnataka HC be conducted on a day-to-day basis by a Special Bench.
■ 18 October: After 21 days in prison, Jayalalithaa released from prison on bail. SC says it will ask Karnataka High Court to complete hearing on appeal in three months.
■ 17 October: SC grants bail to Jayalalithaa.
■ 9 October: Jayalalithaa moves SC seeking bail.
■ 7 October: High Court denies bail, citing ‘no grounds,’ to do so.
■ 29 September: Jayalalithaa moves Karnataka HC challenging conviction, seeks bail.
■ 27 September: Special Court convicts Jayalalithaa and three others including aide Sasikala. Awards four years’ prison term to Jayalalithaa, slaps Rs100 crore fine.
■ 16 September: Special Court defers by a week to 27 September the pronouncement of its verdict.
■ 28 August: Special Court reserves judgement for 20 September and directs all the four accused, including Jayalalithaa, to appear before it on that date.
■ 21 March: HC rejects his petition saying the order of the special court imposing cost was right.
■ 18 March: Singh moves Karnataka HC challenging the special court order imposing cost.
■ 14-15March: Special Court imposes a cost of one-day salary on SPP Bhavani Singh for not resuming final arguments citing ill-health.
■ 28 February: Special Court dismisses plea by SPP seeking a direction to produce before it the seized silver articles belonging to her. Judge says SPP had filed it only with the purpose of delaying the proceedings.
■ 12 December 2013: Special Court allows plea by DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan and directs physical production of valuables and other assets seized from Jayalalithaa in 1997 and deposited in an RBI treasury in Chennai.
■ 30 September: SC quashes the notification withdrawing appointment of Bhavani Singh as SPP.
■ 26 August: Karnataka government issues a notification withdrawing the appointment of Bhavani Singh as SPP without assigning any reason and without consulting the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
■ 2 February: Karnataka government appoints G. Bhavani Singh as SPP.
■ 12 August 2012: Acharya expresses his inability to continue as SPP. Karnataka government accepts his resignation in January 2013 and discharges him from the case.
■ October/November 2011: Jayalalithaa deposes in the Special Court and answers 1,339 questions.
■ 19 February 2005: The Karnataka government appoints B. V. Acharya, a former Advocate General, as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct the prosecution.
■ 18 November 2003: SC transfers the case to Bengaluru.
■ 2003: DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan approaches SC for transferring the trial to Karnataka on the ground that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with Jayalalithaa as CM.
■ 21 September 2001: Jayalalithaa ceases to be CM. After her conviction is set aside, Jayalalithaa is elected to the Assembly in a bypoll from Andipatti constituency on 21 February 2002, and again sworn in as CM.
■ 1 October 1997: Madras High Court dismisses 3 petitions by Jayalalithaa including one challenging the sanction granted by then Governor M Fathima Beevi for prosecuting her. Trial progresses.
By August 2000, 250 prosecution witnesses examined and only 10 more remained. In the May 2001 Assembly elections, AIADMK secures absolute majority and Jayalalithaa becomes CM. Her appointment is challenged due to her conviction in October, 2000 in the TANSI (Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation) case. The Supreme Court nullifies the appointment.
■ 4 June 1997: They are charge-sheeted for offences under sections 120-B IPC, 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
■ 1997: Prosecution launched in sessions court in Chennai against Jayalalithaa and three others for having assets ‘disproportionate’ to their known income.
■ 7 December 1996: Jayalalithaa arrested. Many allegations follow, including accumulation of disproportionate assets.
■ 1996: Subramanian Swamy, then Janata Party chief, files a case against Jayalalithaa alleging that during her tenure as Tamil Nadu chief minister from 1991 to 1996, she amassed properties worth Rs66.65 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income.
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