Opposition picks holes in arithmetic

CHENNAI: Opposition parties in the state on Tuesday said there was a calculation error in the Karnataka high court order that acquitted AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa in the   assets case and urged Karnataka government to file an appeal. The high court acquitted Ms.Jayalalithaa and others on the ground that only assets worth Rs 2.82 crore were disproportionate, which was within the permissible limit of 10 per cent. “The percentage of disproportionate assets is 8.12 per cent. It is relatively small—therefore, accused are entitled for acquittal,” said the judgment.

In a statement, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said the high court had  included the bank loans availed of by Jayalalithaa and others from Indian Bank as income. He said the judge had erroneously calculated the total loans at Rs 24.17 crore while the actual loan was only Rs 10.67 crore. . PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss alleged that Rs13.50 crore had been erroneously added to Jayalalithaa’s income, thereby reducing the percentage of disproportionate income.

“It is stated in the judgement that the total income of Jayalalitha was Rs 34, 76, 65, 654. If we deduct Rs 13.50 crore added by mistake, then her income will  be Rs 21,26,65,654. The assets of Jayalalitha as accepted by Justice C. R. Kumarasamy himself is Rs 37,59,02,466. There is still a difference of Rs 16,32,36,812 between the assets purchased and the actual income,” he said, pointing out that this is 76.75 per cent above her income. “Hence even if we take the guidelines in the Krishnanand Agnihothri case or the AP government circular as examples, Jayalalithaa and her associates cannot be relieved from the case,” Dr.Ramadoss said..

TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan said the verdict was “ full of errors” and should be revised. DMDK chief Vijayakanth said the verdict was “shocking and surprising”. The AAP termed the high court’s decision “shocking” and said  judgments such as these were already making a huge dent on the public’s confidence in the judicial system.