Jayalalithaa's petition to be filed before CJ

Petitioners challenged an order of Special Judge, dismissing their petitions about the disproportionate wealth case.

Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Registry, to place before the Chief Justice, the revision petitions filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and two others, for posting them before some other judge for hearing.

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The petitioners challenged an order of the Special Judge, dismissing their petitions, seeking to lift the attachment of moveable properties in connection with the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate wealth case.

Justice S Ashok Kumar gave the above directive when the revision petitions filed by Jayalalithaa, her close aide Sasikala and her relative J Elavarasi came up for hearing.

Expressing unwillingness to hear the petitions, the judge directed the Registry to place it before Chief Justice, for posting it before some other judge for hearing.

The then Special Judge AC Arumughaperumal Adityan, had in 2000, dismissed the petitions filed by Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and Elavarasi seeking to lift the attachment of moveable properties in connection with the disproportionate wealth case. Against this order, they filed the present revision petitions.

According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC), Jayalalithaa had amassed wealth in her name and in the names of Sasikala, Elavarasi and her erstwhile foster son VN Sudhakaran, to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore, disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure as Chief Minister between 1991 and 1996.