The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Translated wealth case documents may be sent to Karnataka by month-end

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 26, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Translated wealth case documents may be sent to Karnataka by month-end

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, APRIL 25. The translation of documents from Tamil into Kannada relating to the disproportionate wealth case involving the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, has been completed and Karnataka is expected to receive them by the month-end.

On February 17 last, the Supreme Court rejected Ms. Jayalalithaa's petition for holding the trial outside Karnataka.

The Supreme Court had asked Karnataka to set up a special court to try the case. Karnataka constituted the special court and named the Registrar of the High Court, A.S. Pachapure, as the Special Judge. It also identified the premises of the First National Judicial Pay Commission in the District and Sessions Court as the venue.

Karnataka then asked for the documents in Tamil to be translated into Kannada. Highly placed sources in the Government told The Hindu on Saturday that the documents translated included the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Tamil Nadu police against Ms. Jayalalithaa, the charge sheet, and statement of several witnesses.

They said Karnataka had moved an application before the special court in Tamil Nadu for getting the documents translated. Another application would be moved shortly to take into custody all the articles, including jewellery, saris and footwear, seized from Ms. Jayalalithaa. The documents were expected to be handed over to the Law Department by April 28. The sources said the translation work was expedited after the Karnataka Government wrote to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, uncertainty over the appointment of the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in the case continues. Though the State Government had finalised a panel of names, it is still mulling the possibility of appointing someone from outside the State.

This is because the State does not want anybody to accuse it of any bias. It feels that the appointment of an advocate from outside the State might go a long way in assuaging the fears of people about its impartiality. The sources said the trial could start once the documents were received. The election process had delayed the trial. They said it could be expected to start once the governments at the Centre and the State were formed.

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