Court adjourns IT cases on Jayalalithaa to July 26

Chennai, Jul 5: An Economic Offences Court here today adjourned to July 26, the four Income tax cases against AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her close friend Sasikala Natarajan.

When the cases came up for hearing before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, Mr N Jothi, Counsel for the two, told the court that Ms Jayalalithaa has filed an appeal in Madras High Court against the Magistrate's June 14 order dismissing their discharge petitions.

Following his submission that the Court adjourn the proceedings, till the High court disposed the appeal, the Magistrate J V Raj adjourned the case.

On June 14, the Magistrate had dismissed the discharge petitions of Ms Jayalalithaa and Ms Sasikala, named in four Income-tax related cases, holding that prima facie, there were sufficient grounds to proceed against them.

The Magistrate had held that the petitioners had wilfully failed to furnish Income tax returns till date.

The Income tax department had filed cases against them for failing to file returns as individuals for the assessment year 1993-94 and as partners in Sasi Enterprises for assessment year 1991-92 and 1992-93.

UNI