In a major setback for AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan, who was aspiring to be the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the Supreme Court restored her conviction in a disproportionate assets case….reports India Daily Newsdesk
A division bench of of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy set aside a Karnataka High Court order staying the conviction of Sasikala and three by a trial court.
The court directed Sasikala and the others to “immediately” surrender before the trial court and ordered them to serve the remaining portion of their jail term.
Justice Roy, in a concurring judgment, expressed deep concern over the “escalating menace of corruption in society”.
The AIADMK faction led by Acting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam erupted in joy on after the Supreme Court restored the conviction of party General Secretary V.K. Sasikala and three of her relatives in a disproportionate assets case.
“Justice has prevailed. We are happy,” former AIADMK MP K.C. Palaniswamy told.
According to Palaniswamy, the legislators supporting Sasikala will now shift their loyalty to Panneerselvam.
“If she has a plan B-projecting somebody else for the post of Chief Minister, she – will not succeed,” Palaniswamy said.
Exuding happiness at the judgement, DMK’s former MP Thamarai Selvan told IANS: “The judgement was expected as the Karnataka High Court justice Kumaraswamy’s decision acquitting late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and others were riddled with holes and inconsistencies.”
A Supreme Court division bench on Tuesday set aside a Karnataka High Court order staying Sasikala’s conviction by a trial court.