Petition in Supreme Court questions Jayalalithaa's continuance in office

A quo warranto petition questioning the continuance in office of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, on account of her scheduled October 20 personal appearance before a trial court in the disproportionate assets case, was today filed in the Supreme Court.

The petitioners -- advocate Sateesh Galla and two others -- I Venkata Hari Krishna and KR Ramaswamy while seeking issuance of a writ of quo warranto urged the apex court to summon records pertaining to the 14-year old disproportionate cases against Jayalalithaa pending before a court in Karnataka.

A writ of quo warranto is a direction issued by the apex court or the high court to a person asking him/her to prove the authority or right to hold a particular post. The former CVC P J Thomas was removed by the Government after the apex court upheld a writ of quo warranto filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).

The apex court had last week dismissed Jayalalithaa's petition and directed her to personally appear before the trial court in Karnataka for recording her statement under Section 313 CrPc in case relating to alleged accumulation of over Rs65 crore between 1991-1996.

"The petitioner submits that the institutional integrity of the office of the chief minister of state of Tamil Nadu seriously suffers because of the lack of personal integrity of the respondent No 1(Jayalalithaa) when she is occupying the office of CM of State of Tamil Nadu even while being a prime accused in disproportionate case," the petition filed through advocate N Rajaraman, said.