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SC orders Jayalalithaa's prosecution in I-T case

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the prosecution of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for failing to file her income tax returns 20 years ago

A bench of Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramjit Sen also asked the trial court in Chennai to conclude the hearing of the case and pronounce its judgment within four months.

The bench said that Jayalalithaa, her close aide N Sasikalaa and Sasi Enterprises (of which both were partners) failed to make out a case why they should not be prosecuted for not filing returns within the stipulated time under the law. They had appealed against a Madras High Court judgment rejecting their plea for discharge from three cases.

Jayalalithaa had argued that since she had no income in those three years, she did not file IT returns.

The IT department filed a case against her in a court.

Jayalalithaa had questioned it before the Supreme Court. The SC has instructed the lower court to go ahead with the prosecution of Jayalalithaa. It has also set a deadline of four months to complete the trial.

Jayalalithaa has to prove before the trial court that the reasons given by her for not filing the IT returns were genuine.

If the court accepts her argument, she can escape from penal actions. If the court finds her guilty, she may have to pay penalty. She is now left with no other option, but to fight her case in a lower court.