In a setback to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court today refused to discharge her and her associate S Sasikalaa from three cases against them for not filing income tax returns from 1991-94 and set a time limit of four months to complete the trial.
A bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan dismissed the petition filed by them challenging the Madras High Court's order which had refused to quash the proceedings against them.
Giving green signal to the trial court to proceed against them, the apex court also vacated the stay order on the trial and directed the lower court to complete the proceedings within four months.
The Income Tax department had in 1996-97 launched criminal proceedings against Jayalalithaa, Sasikalaa and Sasi Enterprises, of which both were partners, for not filing returns for the assessment years of 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94.
The trial court had dismissed their discharge pleas and the Madras High Court had upheld the same in 2006.
Subsequently, special leave petitions were filed in the apex court against the judgement of the high court.
