File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa
Smack in the middle of election season, politician J Jayalalithaa will have to take a day off from campaigning to appear in a court in Chennai on April 10.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister faces criminal charges for failing to file income tax returns 20 years ago. She had requested the court to excuse her from a personal appearance, arguing that her job makes it essential for her to be available to take urgent decisions and prevent crises.
That logic didn't strike a chord; her close aide, N Sasikala, who lives with her and is also part of the case, will have to accompany her, the court said. The women were partners in a company that did not file returns for 1993-94.
In January, the Supreme Court ruled that Jayalalithaa will be prosecuted, and asked for the trial to be completed in four months.
The chief minister had claimed that she had no taxable income for that year, and therefore there was no question of tax evasion, as alleged by some officials.