IT case against Jaya, Sasikala dismissed

Chennai, June 14 (UNI) A Magistrate Court today declined to discharge former Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa and her close aide Sasikala in the Income Tax cases against them relating to their ''wilful'' failure to file IT returns for the assessment year 1993-94.

Dismissing the petitions seeking to discharge them from the cases, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Economic Offences-I) J V Raj held prima facie there were sufficient grounds for proceeding against them.

The Magistrate also dismissed two other discharge petitions filed by M/s Sasi Enterprises, in which Ms Jayalalithaa and Ms Sasikala were partners, for non-filing of IT returns for assessment years 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Following a petition filed by Defence Counsel N Jothi seeking time till July 14 to study the order and to file a revision petition before Madras High Court, the Magistrate posted the cases to July five for further hearing.

In his order, the Magistrate said ''after considering the oral evidence and materials, this court is of the view that there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against the petitioners.

There are prime facie grounds for proceeding against them,'' he added.

Holding Ms Jayalalithaa and Ms Sasikala had 'wilfully failed to furnish their returns at present,' the Magistrate said the sanction accorded by the Income-Tax Commissioner was valid.

The contention that the present proceedings were vitiated on that score was unsustainable.

''The bona fides of the petitioners are still to be tested, substantiated and adjudicated and the chances are still left open to the petitioenrs at the time of trial,'' he said.

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