Jayalalithaa assets case: Hearing posted for March 26

A special court posted to March 26, the recording of statements of the accused in the disproportionate asset case filed against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

Recording of the statements to the questions framed by the court, however, would be subject to orders of the high court on the criminal petition filed by her seeking quashing of some orders of special court on the translation issue.

The special court Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah stated that since the criminal petition filed by the main accused (Jayalalithaa) was reserved for orders by the high court either on March 11 or March 14, the case is adjourned to March 26 for statements of the accused under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Earlier Assistant Special Public Prosecutor Sandesh Chowta submitted that since the criminal petition in the high court was reserved for orders either on March 11 or March 14, the matter may be posted to March 15.

At this, defence counsel Navaneetha Krishnan filed an application seeking four weeks time submitting that since over 3,000 exhibits are there, time was required and also appealed to the court "to ensure that no room is given to her political opponent to exploit the opportunity through the court proceedings since polls are soon to be held in Tamil Nadu".

Terming the "political contention" put forward by the defence counsel as "unnecessary", Chowta reiterated his submission that the matter be posted on Tuesday next after the decision of the high court.

Meanwhile, the high court reserved its orders to March 11 or March 14, on the criminal petition filed by Jayalalithaa challenging the three orders of the Special Court on the translation of statements of the 259 witnesses in the case.

The first order that was challenged in the petition was rejecting six months time sought by the defence counsel to provide for the correct translation of the statements of all the witnesses, the second related to furnishing the corrections then and there and the third order was rejecting the application for recalling of some of the witnesses.

The petition was argued yesterday and today with senior defence counsel Ravi B Naik reiterating that all the statements of the witnesses must be "correct on record, before we put questions to the accused".

"Let the trial court do a little bit more exercise and get all statements correctly translated", Naik said, further submitting that since the statements of 130 witnesses were yet to be translated, four months time is needed to complete the translation.

At this, Special Public Prosecutor B V Acharya submitted "it is not a bonafide request. While we have no objection to considering any translation furnished by the defence, we are eager to complete the trial and conclude the case and if it is not done, it will seriously reflect on the judiciary".

Naik submitted that correct translation was a must to give a "fair opportunity to the accused to rebut the incriminating facts and circumstances against her in the section 313 CrPC statement".

The case against Jayalalithaa which was heard by a Chennai court had been transfered to Bengaluru by the Supreme Court.