Jayalalithaa in trouble: SC refuses to stay trial against her in illegal assets case

New Delhi: In a major blow to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected her plea seeking suspension of trial in the disproportionate assets case against her.

The order was passed by the apex court bench of Justice JS Khehar and Justice C Nagappan.

The apex court had earlier issued notice to DMK leader K Anbalagan.

The apex court had on May 13 said it was not inclined to stay the trial in the Bangalore court in the DA case against Jayalalithaa and others.

It, however, had allowed the Chief Minister to withdraw the plea and move the Karnataka High Court.

The Chief Minister had sought a stay on the trial till the lower court decides the plea of Lex Property Development (P) Ltd, a Chennai-based firm.

The company has claimed that the properties, which have been attached by the authorities as 'benami' holdings of Jayalalithaa, in fact, belonged to it and said this plea be decided first before the lower court proceeds with the trial in the assets case.

The disproportionate assets case was shifted to Bangalore in 2003 following a Supreme Court directive on a petition alleging that a fair trial was not possible in Chennai during her tenure as Chief Minister then.

Jayalalithaa faces charges of accumulation of over Rs 66 crore worth of assets disproportionate to her known sources of income.

Besides Jayalalithaa, V K Sasikala, V N Sudhakaran and J Illavarasi are also facing trial in the case.