FERA case: Sasikala to be quizzed via video conference

The court announced that the questioning with regard to the case will be completed within two weeks. The case was filed against Sasikala by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 1990s for violation of the foreign exchange regulations in response to the probe the ED conducted against JJ TV, a predecessor of Jaya TV. Back then, Sasikala was the director and chairperson of the television channel. The charges related to foreign exchange payments to various companies for uplinking facilities and transponder hiring charges. 

In February this year, in a major blow to Sasikala, the Madras High Court had refused to discharge her from the FERA cases. The cases date back to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s first term in power. Sasikala, who was the late Chief Minister’s confidante, was arrested on June 20, 1996 for FERA violations, shortly after Jayalalithaa was routed in the Assembly Elections. She spent 11 months in jail before she was granted bail. 

On Wednesday, she moved the Supreme Court seeking re-examination of its verdict holding her guilty and sentencing her to 4-year imprisonment in a graft case. 

The review petition filed by Sasikala and two others — VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, —has challenged the setting aside of Karnataka High Court verdict acquitting her and restoring the trial court verdict in toto.