CBI court summons Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: Taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed against former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa in connection with the Rs 2 crore 'birthday gift' case, a designated Central Bureau of Investigation court on Wednesday issued summons to her to appear before it on September 14.
   
Special Judge V Meenakshisundaram also issued summons to former ministers KA Sengottaiyan and Azhagu Thirunavukkarasu, who have been named as co-accused in the case.

 

According to the chargesheet filed by the CBI, Jayalalithaa received the money in the form of 89 demand drafts drawn on banks from 59 people and cash of about Rs 15 lakh on her birthday in 1992, when she was chief minister.

 

The 2000-page chargesheet has 285 supporting documents and lists 149 prosecution witnesses.

 

The former AIADMK ministers have been charged under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for abetting Jayalalithaa, while the AIADMK chief has been charged under Section 11 of the Act for allegedly accepting valuables from persons with whom she had official dealings.
   
Jayalalithaa and her friend Sasikala Natarajan have also been summoned by an economic offences court on August 25 in an income tax case. Jayalalithaa has moved the Madras High Court against the economic offences court's order dismissing her petition seeking to be discharged from the case.

 

Justice K Raviraja Pandian issued notice to the IT department and posted the petition for hearing on August 24.