ndia’s Supreme Court handed down a four-year prison sentence Tuesday to the chief minister aspirant of Tamil Nadu state for corruption in a ruling that prevents her from taking up her post.
V.K. Sasikala was found guilty of possessing “disproportionate assets” in a long-running case that also involved her mentor Jayalalithaa Jayaram, the state’s former chief minister who died in December.
A division bench of of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy set aside a Karnataka High Court order staying the conviction of Sasikala and three by a trial court.
The court directed Sasikala and the others to "immediately" surrender before the trial court and ordered them to serve the remaining portion of their jail term.
Justice Roy, in a concurring judgment, expressed deep concern over the "escalating menace of corruption in society".
The AIADMK faction led by acting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam erupted in joy on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruling.
"Justice has prevailed. We are happy," former AIADMK MP K.C. Palaniswamy told IANS.
According to Palaniswamy, the legislators supporting Sasikala will now shift their loyalty to Panneerselvam.
"If she has a plan B-projecting somebody else for the post of Chief Minister, she - will not succeed," Palaniswamy said.
Exuding happiness at the judgement, DMK's former MP Thamarai Selvan told IANS: "The judgement was expected as the Karnataka High Court justice Kumaraswamy's decision acquitting late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and others were riddled with holes and inconsistencies." 

Source: Gulfnews