Fera case: Jail superintendent directed to produce VK Sasikala on May 13

Chennai: The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Egmore, directed the jail Superintendent of the Parpana Agrahara prison to produce jailed V.K Sasikala, in a disproportionate asset case, on May 13 in connection with Fera case registered against her more than two decades ago.

The case pertains to the alleged payments made by Sasikala and co-accused and her relative TTV Bhaskaran for the purchase of transponder facility and uplinking charges for the now-defunct JJ TV channel and the purchase of a tea estate in Kodanad by violating the RBI rules.

According to prosecution, five cases were registered against Sasikala and another accused Bhaskaran, brother of Amma Makkal Munetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran, and J J Tv (predecessor of Jaya TV) by ED on charges of violating the Fera. They made payments in US and Singapore dollars to foreign firms for hiring transponders, equipment and up link facilities for J J TV during 1995 and 1996.

The payments were illegally routed to US-based Rimsat through firms having network in the Philippines and Singapore. Violating the RBI norms they paid US $ 10 lakh and US $ 3.6 lakh, to these companies. The court took up the matter after Madras High court set aside the trial court order discharging them from the case.

As arguments by ED were completed, judge S. Malarmathi directed superintendent of the Parpana Agrahara prison to produce Sasikala before the court on May 13.