Search the Internet          Tips

Hearing on Jaya's appeal
in Tansi case delayed

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

The Madras high court on Friday adjourned the hearing on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's appeals against her conviction and sentencing in the Tansi land deal cases.

No date has been fixed for the next hearing.

Jayalalitha would need an acquittal in the case before she can contest (and win) a byelection to continue in office beyond the November 13 deadline.

Justice S Jagadeesan, before whom the case came up for hearing on Friday, also admitted a petition filed by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy seeking to implead himself in the case.

Swamy's petition was based on his status as the original complainant in the case. Swamy had obtained the sanction of the then governor late M Channa Reddy for Jayalalithaa's prosecution when she was still the chief minister.

The adjournment of the case followed a request by former advocate-general K Venkatapathy, who has been appointed as a special public prosecutor in the case, for more time to study the case.

Venkatapathy had moved the first bench, headed by Chief Justice N K Jain, which had appointed him on a plea made by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legal wing.

Meanwhile, over 100 advocates have approached the chief justice seeking the transfer of the case to a division bench.

The Tansi cases had led to Jayalalithaa's disqualification from contesting assembly elections.

While the Supreme Court is seized of a petition challenging the elevation of a disqualified and convicted person to the chief minister's office, Jayalalitha has time only till November 13 to get herself elected to the state assembly.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report