Sasikala convicted in DA case, she must serve remaining jail term, rules Supreme Court

AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala suffered a major jolt with the Supreme Court upholding the trial court's judgment convicting her in the 21-year-old disproportionate case against her. With this, Sasikala stands disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister. The apex court set aside the Karnataka High Court judgment of May 11, 2015 which had acquitted Sasikala and former chief minister late J Jayalalithaa in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case. Besides being disqualified to contest elections for 10 years, Sasikala will also be arrested and sent to jail after the Supreme Court's order. Sasikala will have to serve three years in jail. The AIADMK General secretary had served close to 6 months in jail earlier. "Traitors have insulted Amma," the AIADMK tweeted soon after the Supreme Court's verdict which came after a week-long bitter battle between Sasikala and O Panneerselvam over CM's chair. As a consequence, decks are now clear for Tamil Nadu caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who has been locked in a bitter battle with Sasikala since last week over the CM's chair, to take over on the post. The Bengaluru trial court had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years in jail and imposed a Rs 100 crore fine in the disproportionate assets case. The trial lasted for 18 years. WHAT IS THE DA CASE AGAINST SASIKALA Sasikala and her relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi are accused of allegedly amassing disproportionate asserts to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. Jayalalithaa was also an accused in the case. In May 2015, Sasikala was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate case. Jayalalithaa and two other accused were also acquitted in the case. The Karnataka government then moved the Supreme Court against the high court's ruling. The Supreme Court had reserved the verdict in the 19-year-old illegal wealth case after 20 days of arguments in the case last year. The apex court had sought replies from all the accused including Sasikala before the it took a break to study the records pertaining to the disproportionate assets case.