SC Convicts Sasikala: Here Is a Timeline of Events in the DA Case

SC ordered Sasikala to serve the remaining part of her 4 year jail term and is ineligible to contest the polls.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala in the disproportionate assets (DA) case, which also involved late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

After being at loggerheads with caretaker Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam over forming the government, Sasikala has been ordered to serve the remaining part of her four year jail term and is also ineligible to contest the Assembly elections.

Following is the chronology of events in the DA case:

Also Read: Live: Sasikala Convicted, Disqualified From Polls for 10 Years

• 1996: Subramanian Swamy, then Janata Party chief, files a case against Jayalalithaa alleging that during her tenure as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, she amassed properties worth Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate to her known sources of income.
• 7 December 1996: Jayalalithaa arrested. Many allegations follow, including accumulation of disproportionate assets.
• 1997: Prosecution launched in sessions court in Chennai against Jayalalithaa and three others for having assets ‘disproportionate’ to their known income.
• 4 June 1997: They are chargesheeted for offences under Sections 120-B IPC, 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

• 1 October: Madras High Court dismisses three petitions by Jayalalithaa, including one challenging the sanction granted by then Governor M Fathima Beevi for prosecuting her.

Trial progresses. By August 2000, 250 prosecution witnesses examined and only 10 more remained.

In the May 2001 Assembly elections, the AIADMK secures absolute majority and Jayalalithaa becomes CM. Her appointment is challenged due to her conviction in October 2000 in the TANSI (Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation) case. The Supreme Court nullifies the appointment.

• 21 September 2001: Jayalalithaa ceases to be CM.

After her conviction is set aside, Jayalalithaa is elected to the Assembly in a bypoll from Andipatti constituency on 21 February 2002, and again sworn in as CM.

• 2003: DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan approaches SC for transferring the trial to Karnataka on the ground that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with Jayalalithaa as CM.
• 18 November 2003: SC transfers the case to Bengaluru.
• 19 February 2005: The Karnataka government appoints BV Acharya, a former advocate general, as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct the prosecution.

• October/November 2011: Jayalalithaa deposes in the Special Court and answers 1,339 questions.
• 12 August 2012: Acharya expresses his inability to continue as SPP. Karnataka government accepts his resignation in January 2013 and discharges him from the case.
• 2 February 2013: Karnataka government appoints G Bhavani Singh as SPP.
• 26 August 2013: Karnataka government issues a notification withdrawing the appointment of Bhavani Singh as SPP without assigning any reason and without consulting the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
• 30 September 2013: SC quashes the notification withdrawing appointment of Bhavani Singh as SPP.

• 12 December 2013: Special Court allows plea by DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan and directs physical production of valuables and other assets seized from Jayalalithaa in 1997 and deposited in an RBI treasury in Chennai.
• 28 February 2014: Special Court dismisses plea by SPP seeking a direction to produce before it the seized silver articles belonging to her. Judge says SPP had filed it only with the purpose of delaying the proceedings.
• 14/15 March 2014: Special Court imposes a cost of one-day salary on SPP Bhavani Singh for not resuming final arguments citing ill-health.
• 18 March 2014: Singh moves Karnataka HC challenging the Special Court order imposing cost.

• 21 March 2014: HC rejects his petition saying the order of the Special Court imposing cost was right.
• 28 August 2014: Special Court reserves judgement for 20 September and directs all the four accused, including Jayalalithaa, to appear before it on that date.
• 16 September 2014: Special Court defers by a week to 27 September the pronouncement of its verdict.
• 27 September 2014: Special Court convicts Jayalalithaa and three others, including aide Sasikala. Awards four years prison term to Jayalalithaa, slaps Rs 100 crore fine.
• 29 September 2014: Jayalalithaa moves Karnataka HC challenging conviction, seeks bail.

• 7 October 2014: High Court denies bail, citing ‘no grounds,’ to do so.
• 9 October 2014: Jayalalithaa moves SC seeking bail.
• October 17, 2014: SC grants bail to Jayalalithaa.
• 18 October 2014: After 21 days in prison, Jayalalithaa released from prison on bail. SC says it will ask Karnataka High Court to complete hearing on appeal in three months.
• 18 December 2014: SC extends Jayalalithaa’s bail by four months. A bench headed by CJI HL Dattu orders that her appeal challenging conviction in Karnataka HC be conducted on a day-to-day basis by a Special Bench.

• 26 February 2015: DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan moves SC seeking stay of the case against Jayalalithaa questioning impartiality of SPP Bhawani Singh.
• 9 March 2015: SC issues notice to Jayalalithaa and others on plea by Anbazhagan seeking removal of prosecutor.
• 11 March 2015: Karnataka HC reserves order on appeal by Jayalalithaa and three others, including confidante Sasikala in disproportionate assets (DA) case.
• 1 April 2015: Jaya defends Singh’s continuance.
• 15 April 2015: SC gives split verdict on plea seeking removal of Bhawani Singh in Jayalalithaa’s DA case before Karnataka HC, refers the matter to a larger bench.

• 27 April 2015: SC rejects Bhawani Singh’s appointment as “bad in law”, says case does not warrant de novo (fresh) hearing of appeals. Allows Anbazhagan and Karnataka to file written submissions in HC.
• 27 April 2015: Anbazhagan files written submission with Karnataka HC seeking confirming of Jayalalithaa’s sentence.
• 28 April 2015: BV Acharya appointed new SPP, files written submission before Karnataka HC praying for dismissal of Jayalalithaa’s appeal.
• 8 May 2015: Karnataka High Court notification says Special Vacation Bench of Justice CR Kumaraswamy will pronounce verdict on Jayalalithaa’s appeal on 11 May 2015.

• 11 May 2015: Karnataka HC acquits Jayalalithaa and three others.
• 23 June 2015: Karnataka Government moves SC against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal in DA case.
• 27 July 2015: SC issues notice to Jayalalithaa on appeal challenging her acquittal.
• 23 February 2016: SC commences final hearing on the appeals against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal.
• 7 June 2016: SC reserves verdict on appeals in DA case against Jayalalithaa.
• 5 December 2016: Jayalalithaa dies after prolonged illness in Chennai.
• 14 February 2017: SC convicts Sasikala and her two relatives, VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi by restoring the trial court verdict directing them to serve the remaining jail term.