Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha yesterday appeared before the courts of three special judges to face corruption charges and received a copy of the chargesheet against her in one case relating to alleged amassment of assets beyond known sources of income.
Greeted by over a thousand All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers thronging the court premises, and represented by 150 party lawyers, Jayalalitha submitted herself to the jurisdiction of three judges whose appointment she has challenged in the high court.
Also present was her close associate, Sasikala Natarajan, who was produced in the court of Special Judge - I, S Sambandam, and Special Judge - III, P Anbazhagan, on a stretcher with a couple of nurses in attendance.
Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy, whose private complaint led to the high-profile probe by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), also appeared and sought the courts leave to prosecute the case in his capacity as the original complainant.
After the presence of the accused was recorded, all the three cases were adjourned till July 17.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements, regulating entry into the court premises, barricading the front yard and restricting entry into the court halls to advocates concerned in the case, party leaders and the press.
Jayalalitha drove in amid vociferous slogan-shouting by her supporters at 10.30 in the morning and first came to the first floor court hall of Sambandam, who is trying the disproportionate assets case.
Though over 150 zealous party lawyers filed vakalaths on her behalf, it was G M Vridhachalam, well-known trial lawyer, who represented her.
The judge furnished copies of the chargesheet to Jayalalitha, Sasikala and the other two accused, V N Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi. Each was given a bundle running into about 15,000 pages of statements and documentary evidence against them.
Swamy wanted a copy of the status report given by the DVAC to the court on the progress in the investigation, which began at the instance of his complaint. He also cited the A R Antulay case to argue that he was the deemed public prosecutor under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sought copies of all the documents given to the accused.
Special prosecutor A V Somasundaram opposed the supply of copies to Swamy, saying the complainant could assist the court, but could not conduct the prosecution himself after a police report had been filed.
Somasundaram said as per Section 210 of CrPC, where there were both a police report and a private complaint, they shall be tried together. Swamy was not entitled to the status report, but he could take copies of the chargesheet and other documents on payment of charges, but could not be furnished free copies.
The judge deferred his order on whether the documents should be given to Swamy till today. After the accused had signed the papers to record their appearance, and Sasikalas thumb impression was obtained, the proceedings were adjourned to July 17.
Jayalalitha then moved over to the second court on the same floor for the hearing in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case. Special Judge - II, V Radhakrishnan, was informed by counsel for the fourth accused, Rakesh Mittal, executive director of the Kodaikanal hotel that Mittal could not be present as his father-in-law was seriously ill.
The judge rejected the reason for his absence as unconvincing as this was the same reason given at the last hearing also. He ordered issuance of a non-bailable warrant for Mittals appearance at the next hearing on July 17.
Because of his absence, the judge could not give copies of the chargesheet to the accused even though four others Jayalalitha, former minister T M Selvaganapathy, suspended Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer H M Pandey, and the hotels managing director Palai N Shanmugam were present.
