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Jayalalitha files three petitions against proceedings in colour television case

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha today filed three petitions in the colour television scam case, praying that the case be heard by another judge, questioning the governor's sanction for her prosecution and seeking discharge from the case.

In a petition before Special Judge V Radhakrishnan, Jayalalitha feared she would not get justice from him as he was close to former All India Anna DMK minister K K S S R Ramachandran who had now turned her adversary and joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Ramachandran, once an important AIADMK functionary, had developed animosity towards her and become a leader of the rival AIADMK which was constantly defaming her, before joining the ruling DMK, she alleged in her petition.

The judge had participated in functions organised by Ramachandran three years ago, she said.

Judge Radhakrishnan is expected to pass orders on the petition tomorrow.

Jayalalitha, who has been named as the prime accused in the Rs 85.3 million colour television scam case, has argued in another petition seeking to discharge her from the case, that the court taking cognisance of the case was invalid.

She said the final report filed by the state crime branch (CID) police did not state that the Centre had granted sanction to prosecute former chief secretary N Haribhaskar, also an accused in the case. This was in violation of a Supreme Court ruling that such sanction was necessary even if the person concerned ceased to be a public servant.

In yet another petition, Jayalalitha contended that the sanction accorded by the governor to prosecute her was invalid as Justice M Fathima Beevi did not know Tamil. Besides, it would be incorrect to say that she had gone through the documents running to 12,000 pages in Tamil and applied her mind before granting sanction.

The judge would hear the arguments on the two petitions tomorrow.

The case related to irregularities in the purchase of 45,302 colour television sets for village panchayats during Jayalalitha's tenure as chief minister.

The other accused in the case included Jayalalitha's close associate Sasikala Natarajan and former ministers V R Nedunchezhian and T M Selvaganapathy.

When the case came up for hearing this morning, the judge allowed petitions filed on behalf of Jayalalitha, Sasikala and Nedunchezhian seeking to dispense with their personal appearance for the day under Section 317 of the CrPC. The other eight accused were present in the court.

The judge also adjourned, to June 11, further hearing in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay hotel case in which Jayalalitha is also the prime accused.

UNI

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