Jayalalithaa wealth case: HC stays proceedings against Sasikala

BANGALORE: Karnataka High Court today stayed for three weeks the proceedings against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala Natarajan in the disproportionate assets case against them in a court here.

Ordering issue of notice to Special Public Prosecutor in the case B V Acharya, Justice B V Pinto stayed the proceedings on a criminal petition filed by Sasikala, the second accused, challenging the April 21 order of the special court.

The special court Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah had rejected applications filed by Jayalalithaa and Sasikala seeking perusal of unmarked documents pertaining to the case on grounds that the plea was not maintainable.

Sasikala has so far answered 632 out of over 1,000 questions framed by the court under section 313 of the CrPC.

On May 2, the trial court has adjourned further recording of Sasikala's statement to May 17.

Jayalalithaa, the first accused in the case, had already completed her deposition under section 313 of CrPC.

The case relating to alleged accumulation of Rs 66 crore assets by Jayalalithaa when she was chief minister between 1991 and 1995 had been transferred to Bangalore by the Supreme Court.