India
She has been sentenced to four years in jail.
Updated : Feb 14, 2017, 03:16 PM IST
The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside Karnataka High Court's verdict and convicted AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala Natarajan in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case that also involved late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
Here are key takeaways from the Supreme Court's verdict:
1. The two-judge bench comprising Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy restored in toto the judgement and the findings of the trial court in Bengaluru which had held guilty all the accused, including Sasikala's two relatives VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi.
2. Sasikala will have to serve the remaining part of four-year jail term. She has already served six months.
3. The verdict disqualifies Sasikala from becoming a legislator, and consequentially she cannot become chief minister either.
4. SC, however, abates the appeal proceedings against J Jayalalithaa owing to her death on December 5, 2016.
5. She cannot enter into politics for 10 years.
Also read | Live: Sasikala asked to surrender immediately, security beefed up in TN; AIADMK says 'dharma will prevail'
We have expressed deep concern about escalating menace of corruption in society."
Sasikala was elected as the Legislature Party Leader of the AIADMK on February 5, paving the way for her to become the state's chief minister. However, two days later, Panneerselvam raised a banner of revolt against her, alleging he was forced to step down for her. Over the next few days, the rival camps traded charges and counter-charges with some MPs and MLAs deserting Sasikala.
Also read | Tamil Nadu crisis: Legislator Saravanan, who joined Panneerselvam's camp, says MLAs traumatised at resort
(With agency inputs)