Karunanidhi behind assets case against Jaya: Sasikala to court

Bangalore: Sasikala Natarajan, estranged aide of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, today blamed in a court here DMK President M Karunanidhi for the disproportionate asset case filed against the AIADMK supremo. Continuing her deposition before the Special Court trying the case in which she is a co-accused, she said “the disproportionate asset case was filed against Jayalalithaa by her political opponent M Karunanidhi”. Answering a question concerning a building in Anna Nagar, Chennai, Sasikala said “in order to please Karunanidhi, police have filed this case by showing higher valuation. In order to arrive at the amount shown by them, the police have made this witness exaggerate the value by including the building in which only foundation has been laid and is incomplete”. Towards the end of the proceedings the court witnessed heated arguments between Sasikala’s counsel C Manishankhar and Assistant Special Public Prosecutor Sandesh Chowta after the latter objected to her reading from prepared notes. [caption id=“attachment_229883” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] Sasikala, who has so far appeared demure during the proceedings, was visibly angry and raising her voice accused Chowta of “deliberately interfering in her recording of the statement” because she mentioned Karunanidhi’s name. Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah concurred with Chowta’s plea and directed the court officer to remove all the notes. But again while replying to another question, her counsel passed on some papers, sparking fresh bout of exchanges between Manishankar and Chowta. The court adjourned the proceedings to tomorrow for further recording of her statement after she replied to 64 questions, taking the total so far to 274 out of the 1,000 odd questions. The case related to alleged accumulation of wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income when Jayalalithaa was the chief minister earlier from 1991-95 and had been transferred to Bangalore by the Supreme Court. Sasikala, a long-time associate of Jayalalithaa, was recently expelled from AIADMK along with her close relatives, including her husband, amid reports of their alleged interference in state administration and party affairs. PTI