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Madras HC reserves orders on Jaya's petition

A division bench of the Madras high court on Monday reserved orders on a batch of writ petitions filed by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha and a few of her erstwhile cabinet colleagues, challenging the constitutional validity of appointing three special judges to try corruption cases during the All India Anna DMK regime.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice M S Liberhan and Justice E Padmanabhan, reserved orders after hearing elaborate arguments from the counsel for the petitioners, the state and Union governments.

On February 4, another bench comprising the chief justice and Justice D Raju had reserved orders on the petitions. The bench could not deliver its judgment as Justice Raju was elevated as chief justice of Himachal Pradesh.

Fresh hearing of the case had commenced on July 14.

Jayalalitha faces five cases. Charges have been framed in the cases relating to the amassment of wealth, to the tune of Rs 666.5 million, disproportionate to her known sources of income, construction of a hotel in Kodaikannal, probed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption, and the Rs 101.6 million colour-television scam, probed by the state crime branch.

Charges are yet to be framed against her in the remaining two cases -- the coal import and Tansi land deals.

There are 46 cases of corruption pending before the three special judges.

Besides Jayalalitha, the other accused in the cases are former Union minister Sedapatti R Muthiah and former state ministers V R Nedunchezhian, Ponnusamy, T M Selvaganapathy, S Kannappan, Paramasivam, V Sathiamoorthy, Indira Kumari, Madhusudanan, Sengottiyan, Muthusamy and M D Asif, and Jayalalitha's close associate Sasikala Natarajan, her foster son V N Sudhakaran and Sasikala's relative Elavarsi.

UNI

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