Karnataka High Court upholds confiscation of Jayalalithaa's assets
Bengaluru, Jan 13: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed on Monday an appeal by J Deepak and J Deepa, the legal heirs of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, seeking the release of her assets confiscated in a 2004 disproportionate assets case.
Jayalalithaa was convicted by a special court in 2014 for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure from 1991 to 1996. Following her conviction, her properties were confiscated by the authorities.
Although she was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in 2015, then congress government in Karnataka appealed against it in supreme court. Case against Jayalalithaa was abated due to her demise in 2016. While convicting late CM's close aide V K Sasikala, and her two relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi in 2017, Supreme Court upheld the confiscation of Jayalalithaa's assets.
Deepak and Deepa, recognized as Jayalalithaa's legal heirs by the Madras High Court in 2020, filed an appeal seeking the release of her confiscated assets, arguing that since the proceedings against her were terminated upon her death, she should not be considered a convict, and her properties should be restored to them.
Justice V Srishananda upheld the trial court's July 12, 2023, order rejecting their request, stating that the confiscation order remains valid as upheld by the Supreme Court.
The court noted the absence of detailed evidence indicating which assets were acquired before the investigation period and clarified that any claims regarding such assets must be supported by proper proof and presented before the trial court.
In a concluding remark, the judge encouraged the legal heirs to consider establishing a foundation in Jayalalithaa's name to serve the poor, suggesting that engaging in charitable work would bring peace to the late leader's soul.
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Kerala minor girl rape: 44 arrested, two accused abroad, says police
Pathanamthitta (PTI): The special investigation team (SIT) of Kerala police probing the sensational case of alleged sexual abuse of a Dalit girl in the district has arrested 44 people so far in connection with the matter, a senior police officer of the district said on Tuesday.
DIG S Ajeetha Begum, who is overseeing the investigation, said that 30 FIRs have been registered in connection with the alleged sexual assault of the girl and out of the 59 accused mentioned in the cases, 44 have been arrested.
"Two of the accused are absconding. They are abroad at present. We are considering issuing Look out Circulars for them. We are also planning to issue a Red Corner notice for them through Interpol," the officer told TV channels.
Besides them, 13 more have to be arrested, she said.
"We are searching for their locations. They will be arrested soon. A foolproof and scientific investigation will be carried out by the SIT. We will not spare any of the accused. There will be no compromise. We will bring all of them before the law," the officer said.
The investigation so far has revealed that several of the accused met the girl at a private bus stand in Pathanamthitta. She was then taken to various locations in vehicles and subjected to abuse, police said.
The probe also found that the girl, while she was studying class XII last year, was taken by a youth who was acquainted with her through Instagram to a rubber plantation in Ranni, where he raped her along with three others.
Police said the investigation revealed she was gang-raped on at least five occasions, including incidents inside a car and at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital in January 2024.
The girl, who is now 18 years old, has alleged in her complaint that she was sexually abused by 62 individuals since the age of 13.
The matter came to light during counselling conducted by the Child Welfare Committee, after the victim's teachers at an educational institution informed the panel about noticeable changes in her behaviour.
The Committee, subsequently, notified the police and an investigation is on.
The SIT had been formed to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident, with Pathanamthitta Deputy SP P S Nandakumar leading the team under the supervision of District Police Chief V G Vinod Kumar.
The team comprises over 30 police officers, including women, from various ranks and stations.
DIG Ajitha Beegam said that once the Sabarimala pilgrimage season gets over, more officers will be included in the SIT.
