Jaya case; HC to wind up hearing tomorrow

The Special Bench has been set up after the SC had on Dec 18 last directed the Chief Justice of K'taka HC to constitute it to decide Jayalalithaa's appeal within 3 months

The Karnataka High Court today said it would wind up tomorrow hearing of the appeals filed by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and three others challenging their conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

“Even if Subramanian Swamy (BJP leader) does not submit his written arguments tomorrow before the court, I am going to wind up the hearing tomorrow itself,” Justice C R Kumaraswamy, who is hearing Jayalalithaa’s appeal, said. The Special Bench has been set up after the SC had on Dec 18 last directed the Chief Justice of Karnataka high court to constitute it to decide Jayalalithaa’s appeal within three months.

Justice Kumaraswamy yesterday had directed Swamy to make written submissions by tomorrow (March 11). The judge had in his February five order said the court would decide on Swamy’s prayer to allow him to make written submissions after completion of arguments. Swamy had filed an application seeking permission to implead himself in the case.

The counsel for Jaya and three other convicts completed their submissions which ran into 250 pages, 171 pages of arguments and 65 pages of supplementary. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Bhavani Singh had completed the arguments on March 6.

A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu, had granted bail to Jayalalithaa on the condition that hearing in the High Court on her appeal against conviction be completed in three months from December 18.

The special court had held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption and awarded four years jail term and slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore on her. It had also imposed a fine of Rs 10 crore each on three other convicts. Apart from Jayalalithaa, her close confidante Sasikala and her relatives Sudhakaran, erstwhile foster son of the AIADMK leader, and Elavarasi were also convicted.