M A I N   N E W S

Charges framed against Jayalalitha

CHENNAI, Dec 26 (PTI) — A Special Judge trying corruption cases today framed charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, industrialist A.C. Muthiah and a former IAS officer in the Rs 28.29 crore SPIC disinvestment case.

Ms Jayalalitha, Mr Muthiah and Mr C.Ramachandran, former state Industries Secretary, appeared before Judge A.C. Arumugaperumal Adithan and pleaded “not guilty” when the charges against them were read out.

Thereafter, the judge proceeded to frame charges against them and posted the case for further hearing on January 31, 2001.

The CBI has charged the three with conspiring to get the state-owned Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) to renounce its rights in the joint sector Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC) in March 1992 when SPIC came out with a “zero conversion” bond issue.