Recording of Sasikala's statement adjourned to Mar 21

The Special Court trying the wealth case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday adjourned to March 21 further recording of the statement of Sasikala Natarajan, her estranged aide and co accused.

Special Court judge B M Mallikarjunaiah allowed the applications under Section 317 CrPC by Sasikala's counsel C Manishankhar, seeking exemption from her personal appearance and other two accused (V N Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi) and adjournment due to the prevailing tension in the city civil court complex following the recent violence and subsequent boycott of courts by lawyers.

Manishankhar also sought adjournment on the grounds of ill-health of Sasikala, who he submitted was suffering from "accelerated systematic hypertension and vertigo".

The court allowed the applications even as Assistant Special Public Prosecutor Sandesh Chouta opposed it.

During the March 2 hearing, Sasikala had answered 16 questions, taking the total number of questions answered to 300.

The case, relating to alleged accumulation of wealth by Jayalalithaa when she was chief minister between 1991 and 1995, had been transferred to Bangalore by the Supreme Court.