HC to give verdict on Jaya's petitions tomorrow

Chennai, Dec 1 (UNI) Madras High Court will pronounce its verdict tomorrow on the petitions filed by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the Income Tax Cases.

Ms Justice Prabha Sridevan had earlier reserved orders after hearing elaborate arguments from both sides, on the petition filed by Jayalalithaa against the lower court order refusing to discharge her from the Income Tax cases and on another petition, questioning the constitutional validity of Section 278-E of the Income Tax Act.

For failure to file income tax returns for assessment year 1993- 94, the Income Tax Department (IT) filed a case against Jayalalithaa.

The IT also filed a similar case against Sasikala Natarajan. It had also filed cases against Sasi Enterprises, in which Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were partners, for failure to file returns for assessment years 1991-92 and 1992-93. The Economic Offences Court had earlier dismissed the discharge petition filed by Jayalalithaa.

Challenging this order, she filed the present petition.

Ms Jayalalithaa had also filed another petition, questioning the constitutional validity of Section 278-E of the Income Tax Act (Culpable mental state in the commission of the offence should be presume. The accused can rebut the presumption but the rebuttal cannot be by mere prepondance of probability but should be proved beyond any reasonable doubt).

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