Jaya resumes deposition in wealth case in Bangalore court

Bangalore, Nov 23: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalallithaa today (Nov 23) resumed her deposition before a special court here in the disproportionate assets case, appearing before it for the fourth time since last month.

She appeared before Special Judge B M Mallikarjunaiah at the makeshift court hall at the Parapana Agrahara Central Jail on city outskirts to reply to the remaining 192 questions out of the 1,339 framed by the judge in the 15-year old case.

Jayalalithaa, who returned to Chennai last evening after the deposition, arrived here by a special aircraft this morning.

During the inconclusive deposition yesterday, Jayalalithaa had answered questions mainly about the extravagant wedding of her estranged foster son V N Sudhakaran in 1996 that landed her in a major controversy and about transactions by firms in which she was a 'dormant partner'.

In the closed-door hearing held amidst tight security, Jayalalithaa had faced 580 questions taking the total queries answered so far to 1,147.

She deposed in the court yesterday for the third time after Supreme Court rejected her plea for exemption from personal appearance and seeking permission to submit written answers.

The apex court had given two days time for the special court here to complete the questioning.

The AIADMK supremo had appeared before the court on October 20 and 21 when she replied to about 571 questions.

Senior counsel representing Jayalalithaa B Kumar had yesterday said the questioning was incomplete and expressed hope that the process would be completed today.

Jayalalithaa has been charged with accumulation of wealth worth Rs 66 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the chief minister between 1991-96.

The trial was transferred from a Chennai court to Bangalore in 2003 by the Supreme Court on a petition by DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan.

PTI