Jayalalithaa, others sentenced to four years in jail

BANGALORE: A special court in Bangalore sentenced Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and her three associates - N Sasikalaa, J Elavarasi and V N Sudhakaran - to four years imprisonment in the Rs 66.65-crore disproportionate assets case.
The court of John Michael D'Cunha imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore on each of the other convicts. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to serve an additional one year in jail. Jayalalithaa can't contest elections for six years, according to a news agency.
All the accused were convicted for offences punishable under Section 120(B) of the IPC (criminal conspiracy), 13(1) of the Prevention Corruption Act (criminal misconduct by public servants) and 109 (abetment) by special judge John Michael D'Cunha Saturday afternoon, special public prosecutor Bhavani Singh told TOI.
The case was registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) of Tamil Nadu police in 1996, after the present BJP leader Subramanian Swamy moved courts and obtained necessary directions.
By listing a total of 78 properties, kilos of gold and silver, besides diamonds, personal accessories and fraudulent transactions in ghost or benami companies numbering 32, the DVAC said she and her associates had amassed wealth worth Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income as chief minister during 1991-96.