SC adjourns hearing of Jayalalithaa appeal for four weeks

New Delhi, Sep 10 (UNI) The Supreme Court today adjourned for four weeks the hearing of a petition filed by former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa challenging Madras High Court order ordering registration of criminal cases against her for suppressing material facts from the returning officer while filing her nomination papers for assembly elections in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and D K Jain adjourned the hearing and granted four weeks time to Jayalalithaa for filing her rejoinder.

DMK MP C Kuppusamy had filed a writ in the High Court alleging that Jayalalithaa filed her nomination papers from four assembly constituencies in violation of Section 33(7)(b) of the representation of people Act which permits a candidate to contest only from two constituencies, and suppressed the fact from the returning officer while filing nominations for Bhuvanagiri and Pudukkottal assembly constituencies.

The state High Court in its order directed the Election Commission (EC) of India to file criminal complaints against the AIADMK supremo.

The apex court had stayed the High Court order while issuing notices on the petition filed by Jayalalithaa in the Court.

The Election Commission of India in its response had stated before the Supreme Court that so far as EC was concerned, the matter was closed with the report of the returning officer which gave clean chit to the ex-chief minister and it had lodged police complaint only to comply with the High Court order.

UNI