The drama in Tamil Nadu politics, which is unfolding for quite some time now, might see a welcome conclusion on Tuesday (Feb 14) when the Supreme Court will come up with the much-awaited judgment in the disproportionate assets (DA) case involving late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and AIADMK general-secretary V K Sasikala.
The apex court's verdict is eagerly awaited by various quarters for this could facilitate the process of finding a solution to the deadlock in Tamil Nadu. If the verdict is a negative one for the former aid of Jayalalithaa, then her chief ministerial ambitions would receive a heavy blow and the way would be cleared for O Panneerselvam. Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who has also been questioned from various quarters for taking a long, long time to arrive at a decision, will also be closely watching what the Supreme Court has in store for Sasikala.
Here are the live updates on the developments during the day.
Background to the DA case: The two-judge bench in the apex court headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (the other judge is Justice Amitava Roy) will take the crucial decision. The Karnataka High Court had acquitted Jayalalithaa and her aides in May, 2015 in the DA case, just eight months after they were convicted by a special court in Bengaluru. Jayalalithaa came back as the chief minister of the state and also led her party to win the Assembly elections in 2016, before her death in December.
Now, the focus is on Sasikala. She, along with Jayalalithaa and two others – VN Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi – were accused of amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during her first term as the CM between 1991 and 1996. In 2003, the Supreme Court had ordered to transfer the trial to a special court in Bengaluru to ensure it was conducted fairly. It was done after the DMK had approached the apex court.
