By IANS
Chennai : Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalitha is likely to be put on trial from March 17 for her alleged failure to file income tax returns in the year 1993-94.
A court here Monday cleared the decks for initiating prosecution against the AIADMK supremo after magistrate R. Prem Kumar dismissed a petition filed by Jayalalitha.
“Evidence has not yet been recorded and documents are yet to be examined. Therefore, the plea for discharge is dismissed,” Kumar, who deals with economic offences, said in his order.
Jayalalitha is being prosecuted by the Income Tax department for failing to file returns for the assessment year 1993-94 following an ex-parte order pronounced by a wealth tax officer.
Jayalalitha had been ordered to pay tax to the tune of Rs.191,000 together with interest on the basis of the findings of the tax official, who determined under the Wealth Tax Act 1957 that her undisclosed wealth amounted to Rs.1.35 crore (Rs.13.5 million). The prosecution began in 1997.