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SC okays Jaya's trial by special courts

In a major setback to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalita, the Supreme Court today gave a green signal for her trial along with erstwhile cabinet colleagues, former legislators and senior bureaucrats in 46 corruption cases pending before three special courts at Madras.

The go-ahead was given by a division bench, comprising Justices M K Mukherjee and S P Kurdukar, when the bench vacated its earlier order directing the trial to go on till the stage of framing of charges only.

''Let it be understood that the interim stay (sought by Jayalalitha) is refused,'' the judges said, and reiterated that ''the issuance of notices to the respondent will not amount to stay of the proceedings sought to be challenged in this court.''

The notices were issued to the Tamil Nadu government, Union of India and registrar of the Madras high court, with a direction that the notices be served within six weeks.

The three special courts before which the corruption cases against Jayalalitha and others are pending, were instituted by the Tamil Nadu government on April 17, 1997, for the expeditious disposal of these cases.

UNI

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