HC quashes ED case filed against Sasikala

Chennai, Sep 24 (UNI) Madras High Court today quashed a case filed against Ms Sasikala, a close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wing of the Income Tax Department.

Allowing a revision petition filed by Sasikala seeking to quash the case pending in the Economics Offences Court I (Egmore), Mr Justice K N Basha said the case was filed against Sasikala stating that she purposely evaded the summons issued to her by the Enforcement Directorate and by not appearing before the officer concerned was a offence publishable under Section 40 (3) of the FERA Act.

The Enforcement Directorate department has not placed any records before the court that the petitioner purposefully evaded its summons.

As per the record, Sasikala had given proper explanation to the Enforcement Directorate for her non appearance and it was accepted by the Directorate.

The Directorate issued fresh summons to her and she appeared before the officer concerned and after interrogating Sasikala and arresting her it filed three FERA cases against her, the judge said, allowing her petition and quashing the case filed against her for non appearance before Enforcement Directorate on summons in 1996.

UNI XR ROY SY AS1525