Disproportionate assets case: Bangalore court adjourns Sasikala hearing

Bangalore: A Bangalore court on Saturday adjourned Sasikala Natarajan's hearing in the disproportionate assests case involving her former chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minsiter J Jayalalithaa till February 23. The former aide of the CM broke down in court during her questioning. This was the first time she was being questioned in the disproportionate assets case.

Sasikala claimed that Jayalalithaa was not involved in the case. "Jayalalithaa is not involved in the affairs of partnership. I alone operated the bank account. Jaya was a partner but not involved in affairs. I take blame for some of the things," she said in court.
Jayalalithaa had expelled Sasikala and her relatives from the AIADMK in December 2011.
Sasikala was a close confidante of Jayalalithaa for several years. A former video parlour operator, Sasikala quickly became close to the AIADMK supremo in the '90s.
The trial of the disproportionate assets case, allegedly involving accumulation of assets worth over Rs 66 crore between 1991 and 1996 by Jayalalithaa and her aides, was shifted earlier to Bangalore by the apex court on the latter's fears that she might be denied a fair trial in Tamil Nadu due to state's erstwhile DMK government which she had accused of implicating her in false cases.
The apex court had on September 12 dismissed Jayalalithaa's plea for exemption from personal appearance owing to threat perception.
She had further submitted that she was apprehensive of a hostile atmosphere in Bangalore from organisations like the "Al Mun Thameen Force" which had vowed to avenge the killing of its cadre Imam Ali and others in an encounter with the Tamil Nadu police in Bangalore during 2002.
Besides, she said there were a number of other threat perceptions to her.

Continue reading...

Jayalalithaa's former aide Sasikala's brother arrested

Chennai:  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's former aide Sasikala's brother Diwakaran was today arrested in Tiruvarur district for allegedly demolishing a woman's house in Rishiyur village. The Madras High Court has dismissed his anticipatory bail.

Diwakaran's arrest comes days after the Chief Minister expelled Sasikala Natarajan and 11 of her relatives from her party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). No reason was officially given for the drastic step. The move was, however, seen by many as an attempt by Jayalalithaa to nip in the bud reported moves by Sasikala's family to dominate her party and influence the AIADMK government. Those who were handed the pink slip included Sasikala's husband, Natarajan and her nephew and former MP T T V Dinakaran.

Sasikala has for long served as Jayalalithaa's companion. She is also one of the main accused in a case that alleges that the Chief Minister misused her office from 1991-1996 to collect assets worth 66 crores that cannot be accounted for. That case is being tried by a Bangalore court to ensure a fair trial. Jayalalithaa objected to being summoned by that court, but was ordered by the Supreme Court to appear in person to answer questions. Sasikala travelled with her for those hearings in a special plane from Chennai.

For three decades, Sasikala was acknowledged as a power centre in the AIADMK because of her proximity to Jayalalithaa. Insiders say that her opinions counted towards the selection of ministers and party candidates.

In 1996, when Jayalalithaa was beleaguered by a slew of corruption charges, she had a brief falling out with Sasikala, who belongs to the strong Thevar community, traditionally AIADMK loyalists.

Continue reading...

Jayalalithaa has no moral right to seek my resignation: A Raja

Continue reading...

Death threats: AIADMK MPs call for CBI probe

A similar representation was made to Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MPs on Monday asked the Prime Minister to transfer the cases of death threats to party general secretary Jayalalithaa to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a free and fair investigation.

In their representation, the MPs stated that two more threat letters had been received by Jaya TV office since their meeting with the Prime Minister on September 7. One of them was in the name of a DMK youth wing secretary, threatening to kill Ms. Jayalalithaa if she came for a public meeting in Madurai. The letters were received only because of the protest meeting announced by the AIADMK leader.

The State government was only interested in releasing advertisements in newspapers about the details pertaining to the security arrangements provided to Ms. Jayalalithaa at the cost of the government and not interested in investigating the sources of the threat letters, they alleged. They noted that when Ms. Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, police action was initiated in the former DMK Minister Tha Kiruttinan's murder case against M.K. Alagiri, who is currently a Union Minister. As the death-threat letters had warned against speaking about the murder case, the AIADMK MPs said they suspected there was some inner motive governing all these actions.

Continue reading...