Date:05/08/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/05/stories/2005080501350400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Wealth case jewellery will move to Bangalore soon

K.T. Sangameswaran

Karnataka High Court gives the nod to official team

CHENNAI: The process of moving gold and silver jewellery, material evidence in the "disproportionate wealth case" against the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, from Chennai to Bangalore, is likely to commence soon with the Karnataka High Court granting permission to an official team.

Official sources told The Hindu that the work is expected to begin after the Special Court in Bangalore passes orders on August 10 on the discharge applications filed by the accused in the case.

The court had received documents marked as exhibits in the case in September last year. Early last month, the City Civil Court in Bangalore had written to the special judge in Chennai seeking custody of the jewellery.

In his reply, the special judge here, T. Mathivanan, said the material objects were in the custody of the Reserve Bank of India and the court. They were most valuable and had important evidentiary value.

Hence, they could not be just handed over at the Bangalore end. He had requested the special judge in Bangalore to personally verify the material objects with the assistance of appraisers and receive them directly from the court here for being taken to Bangalore.

As many as 468 jewellery items have been marked as material objects in the wealth case.