Panel to decide on Jayalalithaa plea to settle I-T case

CHENNAI: The income tax department formed a committee to consider chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s applications to settle the 23-year-old I-T returns case by paying a fine. A submission to this effect was made by K Ramasamy, special public prosecutor for I-T cases, before additional chief metropolitan magistrate (economic offences) Egmore, who is hearing the cases against Jayalalithaa and her friend N Sasikala, on Thursday.
When the matter was taken up for hearing, Ramasamy said, “The compounding committee of the I-T department has adjourned the proceedings to 2.30pm on August 27.” Additional chief metropolitan magistrate R Dakshinamurthy then adjourned the case to September 4.
Counsel for the CM sought a two-week adjournment, saying the compounding pleas of Jayalalithaa and Sasikala are pending before the I-T department. Ramasamy then sought time till 3.30pm saying the committee had convened a meeting to examine the applications.
The I-T department had filed a case against erstwhile Sasi Enterprises and its partners, Jayalalithaa and Sasikala, for their failure to file returns for two consecutive years (1991-92, 1992-93).