Chennai:
For Jayalalithaa, a case that accuses her of corruption has made this week a particularly tough one.
On September 12, the Supreme Court said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister could not be exempted from appearing in the Bangalore court which is handling the case. She has been accused of misusing her earlier terms as Chief Minister to personally benefit - the petition suggests that her assets are vastly disproportionate to her income.
Today, the Karnataka High Court said no further investigation should be conducted by the DVAC or Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption which handles charges of corruption among government departments and officials.
After assuming office, the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu government had ordered the DVAC to further investigate the case althought the trial is still pending. Jayalalithaa's political rival, the DMK, had opposed this alleging that further investigation could serve as cover for destruction of evidence.
Jayalalithaa has been asked to appear in Bangalore on October 20.
The case against her, which was filed by the DMK in 1997, was transferred to Karnataka in 2003 after senior DMK leader K Anbazhagan alleged that she would not get a fair trial in her home state.