A Rs 3-cr wedding that sunk Jaya's political career

Jayalalithaa claimed that the wedding was funded by the bride's family and AIADMK workers

One of the events that hit All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo J Jayalalithaa's political career is her foster son's wedding in 1995. The AIADMK lost all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in 1996, the next immediate general elections, and now the Bangalore special court is of the view that Jayalalithaa would have spent around Rs 3 crore for the ceremony.

The court took statements from music director A R Rahman and Mandolin U Shrinivas, who recently died, before passing its order on September 27. Judge John Michael D' Cunha sentenced Jayalalithaa and three others, Sasikala Natarajan, V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarsi, to four years in prison and fined Jayalalithaa Rs 100 crore and each of the others Rs 10 crore. 

The verdict was issued in a case relating to Rs 66.65 crore of unaccounted wealth amassed by Jayalalithaa between 1991 and 1995 as chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The conviction forced her to step down as the state's chief minister last month.

During the trial, Jayalalithaa claimed the elaborate wedding was funded by the bride's family and AIADMK party workers. But the judge disagreed, observing Jayalalithaa had declared in her income tax returns for 1996-97 spending 29.92 lakh for the wedding.

If it was indeed true that the expenses were borne by the bride's father, there was no reason for Jayalalithaa to issue cheques in connection with wedding expenses, the judge ruled. Sasikala's nephew Sudhakaran was 'adopted' by Jayalalithaa as her foster son, who turned into a major critic after she disowned him. He tried to enter politics by claiming himself to be Singa Thamizhan, Chinna MGR (lion-hearted Tamilian, junior MGR) in early 2000.

The prosecution estimated Jayalalithaa spent Rs 6,45,04,222 on Sudhakaran's wedding. Its break-up of the expenses: marriage pandal Rs 5,21,23,532; food, mineral water and tamboolam Rs 1,14,96,125, 34; watches Rs 1,34,565; Sudhakaran's wedding dress Rs 1,26,000, 100 silver plates (paid for by Sasikala) Rs 4,00,000; and postal expenses for dispatch of 56,000 invitations Rs 2,24,000.

The judge was of the view that Rs 6.45 crore appeared to be "exorbitant", but observed that "having regard to the accommodation provided to 40,000-50,000 people at two places and special arrangements for stage and decoration, the amount did not appear to be unreasonable".

The judgment said if the claim of the AIADMK party workers that they spent Rs 60 lakh for the façade alone was to be believed, at least three times this amount could be estimated for putting up the pandals.

"It is established in the evidence that a huge amount was spent towards the printing of invitations, publication of thanks in dailies, "tamboolam" and valuable presents were given to the guests, all of which would certainly entail an expense of more than Rs 3 crore even by modest and conservative estimation," said Judge D'Cunha in his order.

The judge said witnesses had testified that VIPs who attended the wedding were hosted in hotels paid for by Jayalalithaa. "All these circumstances falsify the contention of the accused that the expenses were met by the family of the bride," he said.

The court recorded statements by Rahman and Shrinivas, both of whom conducted music at the wedding. They said they did not charge any fee for the performance, but they told the court that along with the invitation they received a silver plate, a silk saree and a small kumkum box.

"Their evidence deserves full acceptance. Both these witnesses are independent witnesses. They are men of repute and professionals whose presence at the venue and the rendition of concerts during the marriage is corroborated by a number of witnesses," the judge said.