Chennai: Court adjourns tax returns case against Jaya to 3 June

Chennai - A court here today adjourned to June 3 the income tax return case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her aide Sasikala for fixing a date for their appearance for framing of charges. [caption id=“attachment_1532691” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. PTI[/caption] Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) R Dakshinamurthy passed the order accepting defence counsel’s plea seeking adjournment when the case came up for hearing. The income tax department had launched criminal proceedings against Jayalalithaa and Sasikala for allegedly not filing returns in their individual capacity for the assessment year 1993-94 and also as partner of Sasi Enterprises for assessment years 1991-92 and 1992-93. The defence submitted that due to the death of the mother of the counsel on record (B Kumar), he would not be in a position to appear before the court till June 1. The counsel for the income tax department opposed adjournment without fixing the date for appearance of accused. After considering the submission of both sides, the ACCM adjourned the case to June 3. A copy of the Supreme Court order extending the time limit for disposing the case by another three months from June 6 was filed by the defence as ordered by the court. The ACMM had on April 10 directed Jayalalithaa and Sasikala to appear before it on April 28 for framing charges and answering questions by the magistrate. However, both did not turn up and adjournment petitions were filed citing the Supreme Court order granting three more months for completion of trial and the matter was posted for today. Discharge petitions filed by the accused were later dismissed by the Madras High Court. Jayalalithaa and Sasikala preferred appeals before the Supreme Court. Dismissing their appeals on January 30, the apex court had directed the lower court to complete the trial in four months. PTI