Sasikala seeks questions in advance in FERA case, ED objects

Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala on Thursday filed a petition in the Egmore Court seeking questions be given to her prior to the hearing by the Enforcement Directorate in Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).

The ED, however, objected to her request and therefore, the case has been adjourned.

Earlier on April 19, ousted AIADMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran appeared before the Economic Offences Court in the FERA case registered against him.

The Egmore Magistrate Court, headed by Judge Malarmathi, had on April 13 ordered Dhinakaran to appear for questions in connection with the same case on April 18 and 19.

Earlier in the week, the Madras High Court refused to defer Dhinakaran's trial in a money laundering-cum-foreign exchange violation case till April 12.

Justice R. Mahadevan said that the court was neither staying nor deferring the trial against Dinakaran in the Economic Offences Court-II.

Justice Mahadevan agreed with the ED counsel's submission that in the absence of an interim stay, the lower court was free to go ahead with Dhinakaran's trial on April 10.

The judge denied reprieve to Dhinakaran, while hearing his petition against the court's order, which had refused to defer his trial by six weeks.