Jaya directed to appear in Bangalore court on Nov 22

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was today directed by a special court here to appear before it on November 22 for completing recording of her deposition in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate asset case against her.

Judge B.M. Mallikarjunaiah accepted Jayalalithaa's plea for postponing today's proceedings and fixed November 22 for the next hearing.

The judge said Jayalalithaa shall appear before the court which would hear the case at the Parappana Agrahara Jail complex.

Three other accused in this case, Sashikala Natarajan, close aide of Jayalalithaa, D Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi, were present in the court today.

Earlier B Kumar, senior counsel for Jayalalithaa, moved an application seeking deferment of the hearing to another date in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive last week.

The apex court, which rejected Jayalalithaa's application seeking exemption from personal appearance and praying for permission to file a written statement on the questions framed by the trial court in the assets case, had directed her to appear before the lower court.

It had, however, accepted her plea for deferring the hearing slated for today to another date.

Jayalalithaa had appeared before the court on October 20 and 21 and answered 571 of the 1200 odd questions framed by the special court in connection with the case relating to accumulation of wealth allegedly disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the chief minister for the first time between 1991 and 1996.

The case was transferred to Bangalore by the Supreme Court on a petition by DMK General Secretary K. Anbazhagan.