Disproportionate assets case: Jaya to appear in court on Tuesday

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will appear before a special court here on Tuesday for the third time in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case against her.

She would appear before Special Judge B. M. Mallikarjunaiah at a make-shift court hall close to the high-security Central Jail at Parapana Agrahara on the city outskirts.

In the first two sittings on October 20 and 21, Jayalalithaa had answered about 570 questions out of the 1,200 framed by the judge in the 15-year-old case.

As the questioning remained inconclusive, the judge had on October 21 posted the matter for November 8, but Jayalalithaa moved the Supreme Court seeking exemption from personal appearance stating she would furnish written replies.

The apex court, however, rejected her plea and directed the Bangalore special court to complete the recording of her statement in a day or two during her next appearance.

Following this, the special court had on November 8 fixed tomorrow for the resumption of recording of Jayalalithaa's statement.

Sources in Chennai said Jayalalithaa will leave for Bangalore on Tuesday by a special aircraft.

She has been charged with accumulation of wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the chief minister between 1991-96.

The trial was transferred from a Chennai court to Bangalore in 2003 by the Supreme Court on a petition by DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan.