NewDelhi, 23 August(Wishav Warta): The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala’s review petition seeking re-examination of its verdict holding her guilty in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. The review petition filed by Sasikala and two others others – V N Sudhakaran, Jayalalithaa’s foster son, and Elavarasi, widow of Sasikala’s elder brother – in May this year had challenged the setting aside of Karnataka high court verdict acquitting her and restoring a trial court verdict sentencing her to a 4-year imprisonment in the Rs 53.6 crore graft case. The apex court said it does not find any error in its judgment and therefore, the case does not merit review.
“We do not find any error in the common judgment impugned, much less an apparent error on the face of the record, so as to call for its review. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,” a bench of Justices S A Bobde and Amitava Roy pronounced.
Sasikala’s review plea had contended that she should be let off on the grounds that the prevention of corruption law did not apply to her since proceedings against Jayalalithaa, a co-accused in the case, had ended due to her death.
On February 14, the Supreme Court had upheld a trial court’s verdict, which had disqualified Sasikala from becoming a legislator and directed her to serve the remainder of her jail term. The special trial court in Bengaluru had found disproportionate assets worth Rs 53.60 crore, which Jayalalithaa and the three others could not account for. It had convicted and awarded a four-year sentence with a fine of Rs 10 crore to Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, while Jayalalithaa was awarded four-year jail term, besides a fine of Rs 100 crore.
