Six-week stay on proceedings against Sasikala

A special court trying the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday granted a six week stay on proceedings against her close aide and co-accused Sasikala Natarajan, concerning the translation process.

Justice B V Pinto passed the order after hearing Sasikala's counsel Thulasi.

Counsel had filed a criminal petition on December 16, seeking translated versions of questions framed by the court ready in Tamil.

On December 8, Sasikala's counsel had filed the interlocutory application, seeking a direction to the interpreter to keep a translated version of questions framed by the court ready in Tamil and then record the answers in Tamil, which could then be translated to English.

The court had, however, granted him a week's time to move the high court as against three weeks sought and adjourned recording of Sasikala's statement under Sec 313 of CrPC (power to examine the accused) to December 21.

The case relates to accumulation of wealth allegedly disproportionate to Jayalalithaa's known sources of income when she was chief minister in 1991-96.

The court had earlier adjourned the case to December 8 for questioning Sasikala after the four-day deposition of Jayalalithaa last month during which she answered 1,339 questions framed by the judge.

The case was shifted to Bangalore by the Supreme Court on a petition by DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan.