Disproportionate assets case: Will Mayawati, Mulayam too meet Jayalalithaa’s fate?

A Special Court on Saturday decided Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa fate in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case and sentenced her to four years jail.

Fate of many high profile DA cases are still caught up in the legal labyrinth besides two prominent cases of Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav which still hangs in balance after so many years. Here are a few cases which are still pending:

Mulayam Singh Yadav

An advocate Vishwanath Chaturvedi filed a PIL in November 2005 seeking probe into the alleged illegal wealth amassed by the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family members including his son Akhilesh Yadav and daughter in law Dimple Yadav. The Supreme Court on March 1, 2007 had directed the CBI to inquire into the same. The CBI found out accumulation of assets by the family in the period between April 1993-March 2005.

As per a DNA report, "The CBI status report said in 1993 Mulayam Singh had assets worth Rs18,25,266 and bank deposits of Rs 16,4791 etc. The total family income from all known sources was put at Rs 62,39,87709 and total expenditure to Rs44,562,436.

In its application, the agency sought for regular case against them. But due to political development and SP's external support to UPA government at Centre, in November, 2008, it had taken a stand saying his daughter-in-law's case could not be clubbed with Mulayam's case as he held no public office."

In December 2012, the enquiry against Dimple Yadav was dropped by the court.

In September 2013, CBI filed an affidavit in court saying it was closing the case due to "lack of evidence". But in February 2014, SC ruled that if CBI closes a preliminary enquiry (PE), it cannot do so without the matter being examined by CVC.

As things stand today, Mulayam's DA case hangs in limbo and there are also indications which suggests that soon the CBI would proceed to file a closure report.

Mayawati

Former Uttar Opradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's assets run into millions of dollars, with several properties to her name. In the 2007-08 assessment year, Mayawati paid an income tax of INR 26 crore, ranking among the top 20 taxpayers in the country.

Earlier the CBI filed a case against her for owning assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Mayawati described the CBI investigation against her as illegal and her party said that her income comes from gifts and small contributions made by party workers and supporters.

On 3 August 2011 the Delhi High court dismissed the central government's appeal against Mayawati, stating that "she has fully discharged her obligations by disclosing the identities of all of her donors, the gifts had been donated by her supporters". The central government decided not to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

In March 2012, Mayawati revealed assets worth INR 111.26 crore in an affidavit filed with her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha. The disproportionate assets case was finally quashed on 6 July 2012-nine years later-by a Supreme Court bench of Justice P Sathasivam and Dipak Misra; the court found that the case was unwarranted.

In October 2012, a review petition was filed by Kamlesh Verma, contending that the case had been dismissed merely on technical grounds, and that the evidence had not been adequately reviewed. On 8 August 2013 the Supreme Court declined a request to re-open the case. After seeking legal advice, the CBI finally closed their file on 8 October 2013.

Just before the LS polls, a fresh PIL was filed in SC, challenging the CBI decision. In January 2014, Verma moved a fresh petition seeking direction to CBI for registration of a fresh FIR and in August, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India has issued notice to Mayawati as well as CBI. As per reports, the next hearing is expected next month.

YS Jaganmohan Reddy

The case against YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy pertains to alleged investments running into several crores made by various private firms and individuals in Jagan's businesses, as part of "quid pro quo" arrangement, in exchange of alleged favours by the erstwhile YSR Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) government.

First chargesheet was filed against Jagan and 12 others on 31 March, 2012 in the issue relating to allotment of land to the tune of 75 acres each to M/s Hetero Group of companies and M/s Aurobindo group to the quid-pro-quo to the investment made by these companies to the tune of Rs 29.5 crores into the companies of Jaganmohan Reddy.

CBI has accused Jagan of amassing huge wealth through illegal means by misusing the office of his father YSR, when he was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 2004 and 2009.

A special CBI court posted the case related to alleged investments made in the companies of YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in return for benefits, to October 21.

These three high profile cases are still stuck in the legal labyrinth. Now, one can only wait and see will these people also meet Jayalaithaa;'s fate or something else is destined for them?