Chennai, August 20: A CBI court today issued notice to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and two former AIADMK ministers on a petition by the investigating agency, seeking a date to be fixed for framing charges against them in the Rs two crore ‘Birthday Gift Case’.
Besides Jayalalithaa, Judge Mohammad Issat Ali also issued notice to K A Sengottaiyan and Alugu Thirunavukarasu and posted the petition for hearing to September four.
The CBI accused Jayalalithaa, Sengottaiyan and Thirunavukarasu of adopting ‘dilatory tactics’ by filing one petition after another to stall the proceedings.
According to the CBI, Jayalalithaa had accepted 89 Demand Drafts worth Rs two crore drawn in her favour as gifts on her birthday in 1992 from 57 persons. Twelve names were found to be fictitious, 12 others denied they had purchased DDs while 33 confirmed purchase and presentation of DDs to Jayalalithaa.
The agency claimed that Sengottaiyan and Thirunavukarasu had presented their leader with DDs for Rs 22.53 lakh and Rs 22.50 lakh respectively, thereby abetting her to accept the amount without consideration.
Meanwhile, Sengottaiyan today filed a petition, seeking that he be discharged from the case.
—Agencies